Out of Time
by The Writer On the Wall
Summary: About Time sequel. Begins from around the same point that About Time ends: Something is starting between Raydor and Flynn. Adama is not around anymore, but the case he was supposed to testify in gets a surprising twist.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

Sharon Raydor was lying awake in her bed. She had just finished a long day of maneuvering between closing a murder case and mothering Rusty. She barely made it on time to see him win the chess tournament at school, but it was worth it after seeing how proud he was of himself. She smiled to herself, staring at the dark ceiling, as she remembered how happy he was. She felt a deep connection to this boy, who came into her life only a few months ago. She liked having someone in her house again. It made her feel less lonely, and the distance from her children was more bearable.

Sharon turned on the side and closed her eyes for what seemed like a few seconds, before her iPhone rang and she opened her eyes. The soft, early daylight washed the room in warmth, blinding her for a moment, until her eyes got used to it. "I can't believe it's already morning," she mumbled and took the iPhone in her hand.

"Hello?" she answered, rubbing her eyes with her unoccupied hand. Her voice was hoarse from sleep.

"Captain, sorry to wake you," it was Lieutenant Tao's voice, she recognized it right away, "but we caught a murder," he continued.

"It's okay, Lieutenant, just give me the address and I'll be there as soon as I can," Sharon said and listened to the other end of the line as Tao was doing what she asked.

She hung up the call and looked at the time. "Damn," she mumbled and got up, staggering to the bathroom. It was 6:00 am on a Saturday.

"Good morning, Captain," Lieutenant Tao greeted Sharon when she arrived on the scene.

"Morning, Lieutenant," Sharon replied coldly and looked around, frowning. The scene was taped in red, and her squad was standing outside of it, while other policemen were processing the scene. "What is going on here?" she asked slowly.

"The scene belongs to FID now," said Tao.

Sharon turned her head toward him abruptly. "Why? What happened?"

"Well, there are two victims; one of them is a police officer. Sergeant Tom Miller. The other victim's identity is unknown yet. It seems like they both fired at the same time, because Sergeant Miller has a bullet in his heart, and the other victim has one in his head. Ballistics is a very interesting field, I…"

"Yes, thank you, Lieutenant," Sharon stopped him in mid-sentence and walked over to the red tape, where the rest of her squad was standing. They were watching the officers from FID with angry faces. "Detectives," Sharon said behind them and they all turned around and started protesting at once. "Wait! I can't understand any of you!" She tried to stop them but they were all overzealous with rage. Sharon decided to wait until they let it all out. Finally, Lieutenant Provenza was the last one to finish talking, and they all waited for Sharon to speak.

"Okay. Now that you're done…" she said and walked directly towards them. The squad members moved aside so she can get to the red tape. The first thing she saw was the two bodies, lying a few feet from each other. There was a puddle of blood next to each of them. She looked around in attempt to find a familiar face. Before she could identify any of the men who were processing the scene, she heard something to her left.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sharon Raydor." She looked to her left and finally saw someone familiar.

"Lieutenant John Martin," Sharon said in surprise, almost whispering. She smiled slightly as the man came closer to her.

"We finally meet again," Martin Said. "Oh, and it's Captain now," he added proudly. Flynn rolled his eyes in revulsion.

"Congratulations," Sharon tilted her head and nodded, smiling. She waited a few seconds before adding, "Is there a problem with my squad?" Her squad members all looked at them in tension.

"You know the regulations… FID has the scene for the next 48 hours," Martin said. "Of course, if I'd known that this was YOUR squad… I'd have worked something out. We can work together on this case," he finished with a smile and waited for her response.

"But who will take the lead?" Provenza asked from behind Sharon.

"FID, of course," Said Martin, feeling like he's stating the obvious.

"Excuse us for a moment, everyone," Sharon said before anyone could protest and pointed Martin to come with her a few feet away, so they can talk in privet.

"God. Is he even real? Trying to flirt with her in a crime scene," Flynn said in anger.

"Who cares," Provenza said, "as long as she gets to take the lead." He walked away and sat on a low fence. Detectives Sanchez and Sykes looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

Sharon and John Martin stopped walking when they were far enough from the squad. "Okay, let's make a deal," he said before she could say a word.

Sharon's eyebrows rose in surprise. "A deal? What deal?" she asked, confused.

"If you say yes, I let you take the lead," said Martin, a mischievous look on his face.

"Say yes to what?" Sharon asked, frowning. She didn't like playing games, especially not when there's a murder to investigate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"Yes to going out with me, just for a drink," Martin added the last part quickly when he saw the surprised expression on Sharon's face.

"Are you blackmailing me?" Sharon asked, trying to sound as menacing as she could.

"Come on, cut me some slack… I've wanted to ask you out for years, but we were working together," Martin said with a little shy smile.

Sharon didn't know how to deal with that confession. She looked to her left and saw Flynn looking firmly at them. He couldn't hear their conversation, but he didn't seem to like it anyway. "I…" she stuttered. She liked Martin, but he was younger than her. And there was this thing, this undefined thing with Flynn. Of course, they had to keep up the pretence at work and act as if they were nothing but colleagues.

"Will you think about it?" Martin finally asked when he saw the confusion on Sharon's face.

Sharon wanted to say no, but she also wanted to take the lead on the case. "Sure," she said hesitantly.

They went back to the squad and gave them the news about who's taking the lead on the investigation.

"Wow, what made that change?" Flynn asked sarcastically and Sharon sent him a piercing look.

(***)

Hours later, the darkness has spread outside, and the squad members got ready to go home. Sharon was in her office with Martin when Taylor walked in.

"Another Saturday?" he asked.

"A police officer was murdered. So, yes," Sharon said in her monotonic voice. Taylor didn't like the extra hours, but he couldn't really object.

"Fine. Try not to repeat it next weekend," he said reluctantly.

"Let's hope people don't get murdered again in an inconvenient time," she replied sarcastically, but in a polite tone. Taylor looked at her for a moment and then left.

Martin chuckled. "He's giving you trouble?" he asked.

"He's the boss," Sharon replied evasively.

"I've got a feeling that you and your squad give him more trouble," Martin said, still smiling. Sharon smiled back but didn't respond.

Flynn watched them talking through the office glass walls. His mind was racing and he wasn't listening to what was happening around him.

"Flynn?" Provenza said as he and Tao approached Flynn's desk and he was looking the other way. Provenza and Tao exchanged confused looks when he didn't answer. "FLYNN!" Provenza shouted, startling him.

"What?!" Flynn asked angrily and got on his feet.

"Are you coming? We're leaving," Tao asked quietly, trying to restore peace.

"I… I still need to do something. You go ahead," Flynn said and Provenza raised his eyebrows.

"Fine," he said grumpily, "goodnight." Tao said goodbye hastily and followed him.

Flynn turned his head back to Sharon's office, just as she was walking to the door with Martin.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. And think about… my offer," Martin said when he stepped outside the office. Sharon stood on the doorstep and nodded with a smile.

"Goodnight," she said without referring to what he said. Martin turned and left, muttering goodbyes to Flynn, Sanchez and Sykes.

"Well, I'm going too," Sykes said and grabbed her jacket.

A few minutes later, Sanchez also left. Flynn waited for him to exit the murder room, then he got to his feet and entered Sharon's office without knocking. She was holding her purse in her hand and was almost ready to leave.

"You're still here?" she asked absent-mindedly as she hastily organized her desk. Flynn walked around it and stood right next to her. She froze for a second, and then turned her head slowly to look at him. "Yes?"

He didn't say a word but grabbed her arm, turned her body towards him and kissed her. He needed to check if there was still something happening between them. Sharon moved back quickly and looked around in fear. "Somebody could still be here!" she whispered, outraged.

Flynn shook his head. He took a step back and left the office after casting her one last look. He walked fast to the elevators, ignoring Sharon when she asked him to wait. He could hear her heels rushing behind him, but he didn't slow down. When he reached the elevators he pushed the button, but the elevator wasn't on the floor. "Damn," he muttered as Sharon reached him. She stopped a few feet from him, but before she could say anything, the elevator doors swung open and Flynn stepped inside, pushing the parking floor button without waiting for Sharon to enter too.


	3. Chapter 3

**Attention: this chapter is rated M (for sexual contant)**

**Chapter 3:**

Sharon moved quickly and put her hand on the elevator door, preventing it from closing. She stepped inside in silence and waited for the doors to close.

"You're usually such a gentleman," she said sarcastically in a quiet voice.

Flynn rolled his eyes. "I'm just having a hard time understanding what you see in him," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"What I… who's him?" Sharon stuttered, perplexed.

"That Martin guy," Flynn said.

Sharon froze for a moment, as understanding hit her. She tried hard not to smile at Flynn's jealousy. "Well… he's younger," she teased him.

Flynn stared at her in frustration. She wanted to continue teasing him, but his face was too adorable. She put her free hand on the back of his neck and brought her lips to his, kissing him gently. Flynn put his hands on her waist and brought her closer to him, deepening the kiss. His tongue danced around hers for a moment, as she sucked on his upper lip. Her hand moved up and caressed his hair. They both startled when they heard the 'ding' that announced the opening of the elevator doors. Sharon fixed her hair and Flynn moved the tips of his fingers on the corners of his mouth.

"Is Rusty waiting for you at home?" he asked as they stepped out of the elevator and into the parking floor.

"I'm not sure about waiting for me, but he's home. Why?" Sharon frowned a little.

"Well…" Flynn said in an insinuating tone and Sharon arched her eyebrows as she understood.

"Well…" Sharon repeated and walked to her car, followed by Flynn. She opened the passenger side and put her purse on the seat before she closed the door again. Flynn was standing right next to her, imagining things they could be doing if she came home with him. "Goodnight," she said. He didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him, then grabbed her waist to hold her tighter, her chest against his. Sharon started breathing fast as Flynn looked at her from a few inches away, and she could feel he was aroused. He reached for the back seat door and opened it without looking away from her.

"No, this is dangerous," she tried to sound firm but she was too excited.

"Who's gonna be here on Saturday night?" Flynn said and put his hands on her cheeks as he began to kiss her again. Sharon gave in to his touch. She had no will to object. He started leading her to the entrance of the back seat, his lips not leaving hers. Sharon sat down on the edge of the sit, moved all the way back and lied down, pulling Flynn in by his tie.

She pulled his jacket off of his shoulders, and he completed the task and removed it completely, putting his body weight on her in the process. He threw it to the front seat and started to place kisses on her neck, going from the jawline and down to her collarbone. He opened the buttons of her jacket as he kissed her, revealing a white tank top with a little cleavage. He cupped her breasts with his hands, rubbing them gently, and moved down from her collarbone to kissing her cleavage.

Sharon pulled his tie a little, loosening it. She moved her hand down his body, stopping on the lump in his pants. She started rubbing it and Flynn let out a moan. He put his hands on her thighs and caressed them as he moved up under her skirt, all the way to her crotch. Her black cotton underwear seemed to struggle with him when he pulled it down her legs with both hands. The car wasn't exactly comfortable, but he wasn't going to let it get in the way.

After a moment of effort he managed to move his body to the side in a way that allowed him to remove her underwear and drop them somewhere in the dark car. Sharon lifted her right leg and laid it on the backrest, as her left leg was on the car floor. He unzipped his pants frantically before lying again on top of her, and in two quick moves he lowered his underwear and penetrated her. Sharon let out a loud moan as he did, and again when he started to move inside of her, sending waves of paralyzing pleasure up and down her body. He kissed her lips again as she put her hands on his pelvis and pulled him, telling him without words to go harder. Flynn increased his movements and Sharon tilted her head back and bit her lips, muffling her moans in attempt not to yell. Flynn put his hands on the seat, above Sharon's shoulders. They held his body a few inches above her, allowing his thrusts to become faster and harder.

"Oh, god!" she yelled, unable to keep it inside anymore, as she felt the orgasm building up fast. She had no idea how much she wanted him until they started kissing in the elevator, and now it was showing.

Flynn liked the way she was moaning and muttering, occasionally yelling. He watched her face as she peaked, her eyes shut and her mouth repeating the word "yes" in between moans. Flynn continued to move as he felt the outburst when he came, moaning quietly. For him, this moment was long due. He's been fantasizing this for quite a while. Sharon put her leg on his waist and he brought his body closer to her again, placing a kiss beneath her ear as they both tried to breath normally again.

Sharon felt like she needed time to recuperate. She wrapped her arms around him, one caressing his head slowly, and the other resting on his upper back. They continued to lie in each other's arms for a while, listening to the silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

"Where have you been?" Rusty asked when Sharon arrived home. He was sitting in the living room with his legs on the coffee table and the laptop on his thighs.

"Hello to you too," Sharon said and smiled. She hung her purse and opened the buttons of her jacket as she walked to the living room.

"Yeah, hi. Where have you been?" he repeated the question. Sharon sat down slowly on the armchair. She was still feeling like she was floating a little from what happened in her car not long ago.

"At work," she answered calmly.

"It's 9pm. You texted me the words 'I'm leaving work now' two hours ago."

"I got held up by an unexpected… thing at work. I'm sorry if you were worried," she said and smiled.

Rusty stared at her for a few seconds. "You're different," he determined eventually.

Sharon shrugged, still smiling, and the image of Flynn kissing her goodbye popped in her mind. "I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered.

"Whatever…" he mumbled. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"We can do whatever you want, but only in the evening," she yawned, "I have to work again," the thought of seeing Flynn again tomorrow made her smile again.

"Since when are you so happy about working on the weekend?" Rusty asked. He was sure she was going through something, but had no idea what it might be.

"Oh, I'm not," Sharon replied, trying to keep her face serious.

(***)

Sunday went by quickly. Sharon saw Flynn at work, but they didn't have a chance to talk privately, and right after they finished, she had plans with Rusty. On Monday, she could barely concentrate on her job. She had to remind herself again and again to pay attention to what she was reading or hearing. Her eyes met with Flynn's eyes several times but they looked away quickly, so no one would notice.

At one point, by late afternoon, they were both, alone, in the break room. The glass walls didn't allow them to do anything more than talk, but Sharon liked being alone with him for a little while.

"How did you sleep?" she asked without looking at him. They both kept themselves busy with preparing their drinks. Sharon was tearing open the wrapping of the teabag she was holding.

"Great, you?" Flynn asked as he dropped a teaspoon of sugar in his coffee mug.

"Good," she said slowly in a low voice and smiled. Flynn liked it when she talked like that. He glanced at her for a second and then stirred the sugar.

"If we get out of here on time you can come and see my place," he said quietly. There was something naughty in his tone.

"I've already seen it," Sharon said as she poured hot water on the teabag.

"Yeah, but I didn't give you the grand tour…" Flynn said, lowering his voice. Sharon couldn't suppress her smile.

"We'll see," she said and tried to walk away with the cup in her hand, but Flynn grabbed her free arm. She turned to look at him and they stood there for a moment in silence. Flynn then released her arm and she left, feeling his gaze on her.

An hour later, Taylor was sending everyone home. They've reached a point where they had to wait until morning to continue the investigation, and he saw it as the perfect opportunity to save the city some money on extra hours.

Sharon stayed behind to call Rusty after Flynn signaled her with his eyes, reminding her their conversation in the break room.

"When will you be picking me up?" Rusty asked from his friend's house.

"That's why I'm calling. Do you mind staying there a little longer? I'm swamped here," she was a little angry with herself for lying to him, but she definitely couldn't tell him the truth.

"No, actually… his mother just invited me to join the family at a restaurant," he said hesitantly, not sure if he should accept the invitation.

"Great!" Sharon said and realized she sounded too enthusiastic. She cleared her throat and added, "Let me know when to pick you up."

"Okay… Sharon, are you sure everything's alright with you?" Rusty asked and she could hear he was concerned.

"Positive. Everything's great," she said in her usual monotonic voice.

They finished the conversation and Sharon grabbed her purse quickly. She looked around as she crossed the deserted murder room and a few minutes later the parking floor. No one was around to see her as she drove away the "wrong" way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

"Why do you always enter my apartment looking so nervous?" Flynn smiled after he opened the front door and let Sharon in.

"This is only my second time here... And this situation is stressing," she said, trying to justify herself.

"I have a completely different opinion on this _situation_," Flynn said in an insinuating tone.

A little smile appeared on Sharon's lips, but she still looked nervous. Flynn put his hands on her shoulders from behind and led her to the living room.

"Would you like to drink something? Tea?" he asked, trying to make her feel comfortable.

Sharon wanted to say wine, but she knew Flynn was a recovered alcoholic. There was no way he'd have anything alcoholic in his house, so she asked for coffee.

Flynn muttered "sure" and went to the kitchen. Sharon's eyes examined the living room. It was clean and neat and it made her wonder if Flynn was always this organized, or did he just organize the apartment for her visit. She hoped it wasn't the latter since she really liked organized people.

"There you go," Flynn said as he came back with two mugs and sat down next to her. Sharon thanked him and sipped carefully from the hot coffee. "Is Rusty okay with you being late?" he asked.

She looked up from her mug and found his eyes. His interest in Rusty was endearing. "He's fine," she said briefly. She remembered that the last time she was there, she was the only one who talked about her private life. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "tell me about your ex-wife."

Flynn arched his eyebrows. She took him by surprise, but he reacted after a second. "My ex-wife? We didn't get along after a while," he said evasively.

"Why?" she insisted. She had her suspicion, but she wanted to confirm it.

Flynn smiled. "Are you interrogating me?" Sharon smiled back, but didn't answer. "Okay…" he said after a few quiet seconds. "When I drank, I wasn't myself," he said hesitantly and paused for a moment. Sharon could tell it was hard for him to talk about his addiction. "Anyway, I have no recollections of the night before, but one morning I woke up in a bed with some woman. I didn't even know her," he said quickly, as if he was trying to get it over with. It sounded like he was disgusted with himself.

"And your wife found out?" Sharon asked, her voice low and soft.

"I told her," he said to Sharon's surprise. "I also promised to go to AA meetings, but I guess she'd had enough…"

Sharon touched the back of his hand with hers. She couldn't help but think about her husband and what she went through with him when he was still drinking. It was the darkest time of her life. No one but her parents knew about it.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Flynn asked suddenly.

"What? Nothing," Sharon stuttered. She tried to smile but her mouth wouldn't obey her brain.

"Your face changed… you look sad," he pulled his hand from under her grip and put it on her shoulder.

"I'm just… sorry for you," she muttered, hoping to sound credible enough.

"Don't be. It was a long time ago," he smiled. "I'm into someone else at the moment," he said jokingly. Sharon stared at him for a moment. It took her a few seconds to realize he was referring to her, and then she smiled.

"I know what you mean," she tried to look serious as she said it in her slow, quiet tone, knowing that Flynn loves it.

"How much time do you have?" he asked, considering their options.

"Enough, hopefully."

Flynn looked at Sharon's legs for a moment. "You should have worn a skirt again," he smiled. Sharon cursed her black suit pants in her heart.

He turned his body toward Sharon's and put his free hand on her thigh. He bent forward and she closed her eyes as his lips touched her neck. He inhaled her perfume as he moved up her neck to her jawline and then cheek. She moved her face toward his and her lips found his lips. She opened her mouth just enough to let his tongue in as her arm traveled to his shoulder and half-surrounded his neck. She put her other hand on his chest and pushed him backwards gently, until he leaned against the backrest.

Sharon got up for a moment, and stood between Flynn's sprawled legs. He watched her, trying to figure out what she was thinking. Just when he opened his mouth to speak, she moved forward and sat in his lap, straddling his thighs. Flynn put his hands on her thighs and moved them up slowly. He looked at her with intrigue as she watched him for a moment in silence, determined to take control.


	6. Chapter 6

******Attention: this chapter is rated M (for sexual contant)**

**Chapter 6:**

Sharon started to unbutton her jacket as they continued to look into each other's eyes. She moved slowly, taking her time with every button. Flynn dropped his gaze for a moment and saw her dealing with the second button before his eyes met hers again. His hands traveled down her thighs now, as he was trying to keep calm and play her game. What he really wanted was to expedite the process and rip her clothes off of her, but he was intrigued to see what she'll do.

The jacket was finally open and Sharon removed it from her shoulders slowly. Flynn's eyes moved to the tight grey t-shirt she was wearing underneath. He was distracted, appreciating her figure, when she dropped the jacket on the floor behind her and started to unbutton his shirt. She leaned forward and placed kisses on his cheek and down his neck. Flynn moved his hands up her thighs again and continued up, caressing her pelvis and reaching her back eventually. His hands slipped under her shirt and moved up, feeling her skin on his palms.

Sharon unbuttoned the last button of his shirt and opened it. Her body leaned against his bare chest as she kissed him, and he felt the erection building up in his pants. Sharon felt it too. Her hands slid down his chest and stomach until she reached his pants and unbuttoned them too. Flynn put his hands on her thighs again as she moved to his zipper and pulled it down slowly. She stopped kissing him and brought her forehead to his. They could hear each other's breath for a moment, until Sharon gently inserted her hand in his underpants and grabbed his member. Flynn tilted his head back with his eyes shut as Sharon pulled it out and started to move her hand up and down, causing him to moan softly.

She kissed his neck again as her hand kept moving constantly. Even though she was really aroused, she fought the urge to just get up and take her pants off quickly, so he can get inside her already. She didn't know that Flynn was thinking the same thing as he opened his eyes and moved his hands to her shirt again. He grabbed it and pulled it up, causing her hands to break contact with him as she had to lift them up to remove the shirt.

Flynn threw the shirt on the floor and put his hands on her waist. He moved them slowly to her back and Sharon felt like she was about to go crazy from her own game. He reached for her bra and opened it easily. Sharon bit her bottom lip and pulled the bra off her arms, casting it on side carelessly. Flynn watched her as she got up and unzipped her pants slowly. She could see on his face that he was restraining himself as she took her time to take her pants off, and then her underwear. He was fully erected now and she knew that she was killing him with her slowness. Her underwear was the last item to fall on the floor before Sharon resumed her position on Flynn's lap. He liked it that she kept her black high heels on.

She put her hands on his neck and started grinding her crotch against his. Flynn was positively surprised. He never would have guessed that Captain Raydor could be so good at turning a man on. It made him wonder what else she was hiding but this thought disappeared quickly as he decided he could no longer take it. He held her back with one hand and his member in the other. He slid its edge inside her slowly, continuing her game. Sharon stopped her movements and tilted her head back as she brought her body down on him, taking pleasure in every second of it. She started grinding on him again, moaning, as he brought his lips to her breast and started sucking on her nipple while his hand was rubbing the other one.

Sharon moaned loudly and accelerated her movements. She wanted to feel him coming inside her. Flynn looked at her, letting out quiet moans of his own. He loved watching her come, and he could tell she was almost there as she let out steady cries of approval.

She panted and shut her eyes hard as she came, shaking uncontrollably. Flynn tilted his head back on the backrest and allowed himself to come too, blessing the sensation of release as he didn't have to hold it in anymore. He shut his eyes and felt Sharon's movements getting smaller and slower, until she stopped completely, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and they both kept quiet for a while as they calmed down.

"Wow," Sharon whispered tiredly.

"I'm the one who should be saying it to you," Flynn smiled and added, "Captain."

Sharon smiled as she knew what he was thinking. What everyone who knew her thought of her. She seemed so reserved and restrained on the outside. "I feel like I'm in college again," she said, ignoring his tease, "having sex every other day."

"Tell me more about your college days," Flynn continued to tease her and she sat up, looking him in eyes.

"You can only hope I'll tell you someday," she said mischievously. They smiled at each other for a moment without saying a word. "Hey, you didn't give me the grand tour," she suddenly remembered their break room conversation.

"Oh, I think I did…" he said in an insinuating tone, "but I can expand it to the kitchen table, there's a lot to see there."

Sharon made a thinking face for a second, as if she was considering the offer, and then said, "I think I'll pass. I want to be able to use my back tomorrow."

Flynn chuckled and nodded, knowing exactly what she means, just as her iPhone rang and they both knew their evening together was about to end.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

"See you tomorrow," Sharon said at the door.

"You just can't get enough, can't you?" Flynn said jokingly.

Sharon rolled her eyes. "I mean at work," she said coldly, though she thought it was funny. She never let her emotions show through her voice or on her face.

"Let me walk you to your car," Flynn said, changing the subject.

"No, it's okay. It's not late," she said monotonically as always, repeating her words from a few minutes ago, when he first offered to accompany her. He bent down and kissed her lips shortly, knowing that there was no use in arguing with her. They cast each other a last smile and then Sharon opened the door and left.

She walked quickly to her car in the dark parking lot, and a chill went through her body. She scanned the parking lot briefly, but there was no one there but her. Still, she felt like she wasn't alone. She sped up to her car, stopping by the door to cast one last look around. Once again, it seemed deserted. She shook her head and got inside her car quickly, locking the doors. "I'm being ridiculous," she muttered to herself as she started the car.

(***)

A week later, Sharon drove Rusty to school earlier than usual. He was going on a three days field trip, although he was reluctant about leaving her alone.

"Maybe you should call and say I'm sick," he tried to convince her when she stopped the car in front of the school.

"I thought you wanted to go," Sharon said, squinting her eyes a little when she examined his face.

"Yeah… but what if this person keeps calling and hanging up? What if it's someone dangerous?" he asked nervously. Sharon wanted to caress his head to calm him down, but instead she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm a police officer. Don't worry," she said quietly. Deep inside, she was a little worried about these hang ups that bothered her all week. She tried to trace the calls at work but they were all made from a disposable cell that was purchased in cash.

Rusty hesitated for a moment, but then opened the door. "Well… see you when I get back," he muttered and got out of the car.

"Have fun!" Sharon said just before he closed the door.

A little while later, she entered the murder room, collectively greeting her squad members that were already there.

"Ah, Captain," Provenza said as soon as he saw her. "This was left on my table," he handed her a sealed envelope with her name on it. There was no stamp or address.

"Thank you," she said as she took it from his hands and opened it. Inside it was a folded paper. She unfolded it and started to read it.

_Dear Sharon,_

_I've been in LA for a few weeks now,_

_and I've been DYING to see you._

_Expect my visit soon._

_Your loving husband._

Sharon froze with the letter in her hands. She turned pale and her chest felt heavy. Flynn was watching her from his desk and noticed the change in her. He got to his feet and walked to her. "Captain, are you feeling alright?" he asked in concern. Provenza got up too and looked at her curiously.

"Um… yes," she answered in a shaky voice and lowered the letter so that no one would see it. She muttered "excuse me" and walked to her office, trying to look normal. She walked around her desk and sat slowly on the chair, just as Flynn entered her office. He closed the door behind him and stood at the other side of the desk, staring at her. "We're supposed to pretend," she said quietly in her monotonic voice.

"Provenza sent me to check on you. I rolled my eyes at him before I came here, so I think we're good," he said sarcastically.

Sharon didn't respond. She kept quiet for a moment, her mind racing. The letter laid on the desk, close to her, and her gaze dropped to it for a second. "Do you want to come over tonight?" she asked suddenly.

Flynn froze for a moment, taken by surprise. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked hesitantly.

"Will you come? After work," she figured that while Flynn was in her apartment, HE wouldn't dare to show up.

Flynn was sure that there was something she wasn't telling him. "Sure," he said quietly, determined to solve the mystery.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Sharon entered her apartment in the evening, followed by Flynn. He drove behind her all the way there, and they met again after parking their cars. Sharon was deep in thoughts, concerned.

"Is something wrong?" Flynn asked as he closed the door behind them and Sharon started turning the lights on. She didn't answer. Flynn took his jacket off and laid it on the armchair. Sharon entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She took a bottle of wine in her hand and froze as she remembered Flynn's addiction. "It's okay," he said, approaching her slowly.

"No, I can have tea," she muttered and tried to put the bottle back, but Flynn stopped her with his hand on her shoulder.

"Seriously, it's okay. I can control myself," he chuckled and took the bottle from her hand. "Where do you keep the glasses?" Sharon took the bottle back and pulled a glass out of the cabinet. He watched her back as she poured the white wine to the glass and closed the bottle. She took the first sip with her back to him and then turned around. He was still staring at her without saying a word. Sharon started to walk to the living room, passing him on the way. She sat down on the couch in silence, and he sat next to her.

"Thanks for coming," she said quietly.

"No problem… are you going to tell me why am I here?" he asked gently, trying to sound patient. He knew that it wasn't a rendezvous.

"I…" she started, not sure how to continue. She sighed, looking at a random spot on the floor. "My husband is in LA," her voice was quiet.

"And… you're concerned because…?" he asked, confused.

Sharon looked at him. He was frowning, waiting for her answer. "I haven't seen him in many years… I kept evading him all the time."

"So why is he here now?" Flynn asked and put his hand on her thigh absent-mindedly.

"I don't know," she said, almost whispering. "Maybe he wants his old suit back," she chuckled bitterly.

"Well… maybe it's nothing," he said, but he doubted it would calm her.

"When he drank… I told you he hit me once and then I left him," she said and he nodded, "but the psychological abuse lasted a lot longer than that."

Flynn squeezed his hand on her thigh gently. "You don't have to meet with him."

Sharon smiled bitterly. "He's not going to leave me a choice."

"And you - Captain Sharon Raydor - is afraid?" he asked, smiling. She smiled back and leaned towards him to kiss his cheek softly, as her hand touched his. She didn't need him to protect her, she didn't even want him to be anywhere near HIM, but his presence made her feel good.

"Who would have thought that the sarcastic Andy Flynn could be so -"

"Don't."

"…cute," Sharon completed the sentence and chuckled.

"Well, at least you're laughing. At my expense, but laughing," he said and leaned on the backrest, still looking at her. She sipped the rest of the wine from her glass and laid it on the table. Flynn reached for her shoulder and pulled her to him. She put her head on his shoulder as his arm rested on her waist. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's presence, until Rusty called and Sharon took the call. Flynn got to his feet tiredly and went to the bathroom.

"I can't talk much 'cause the reception is awful here," Rusty yelled to the phone. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay."

"Are you having fun?" Sharon asked, trying to sound as clear as possible.

"Yeah," he said just before he was cut off. Sharon smiled and put the iPhone back on the table when the doorbell rang. She got up and walked to the door, fixing her hair absent-mindedly before opening.

The door swung open and Sharon froze. "Richard," she whispered and felt like she was running out of air. Her husband was standing at the door, his hand leaning on the doorpost.

"Sharon," he said and smiled. It wasn't a kind smile, it was arrogant.

"No, you can't be here," she tried to keep her face sealed, but she was terrified.

"Why not? Are you with your boyfriend?" he asked and tried to peek in.

"What? I don't have…" she stopped herself and swallowed hard, trying to regain her usual calm tone. "Please, leave," she said quietly. Flynn was about to get out of the bathroom and she didn't want them to meet.

"Fine, but only if you promise to see me tomorrow," Richard said calmly.

"Why? What do you want?" Sharon asked hastily.

"You," Richard said and smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

"This is ridiculous," Sharon said, annoyed. She tried to close the door but Richard stopped it with his hand.

"You're still using my name after 20 years," he said. Sharon rolled her eyes. "Look," he said quickly to avoid an argument, "I just want us to make peace. Nothing more." Sharon stared at him quietly, trying to decide if he was being honest or not. "Well, maybe a little more, who knows… you could never really resist me," he added and smiled arrogantly again, looking up and down her body.

Sharon heard footsteps behind her and turned quickly. Flynn approached them, frowning. "So that's the asshole?" he asked. She turned back to Richard, nervous.

"Fine, we'll talk," she said hastily and tried to close the door again.

"Wait, aren't you going to introduce -" Richard disappeared behind the closed door.

Sharon turned to Flynn and leaned on the door, trying to look indifferent. He stared at her for a while, waiting for her to speak, but she just shook her head and tried to prevent the tears from rolling down her cheeks. The worst thing to do, in her opinion, was to cry in front of people.

"He doesn't look so scary," Flynn said eventually and smiled a little. Sharon smiled bitterly and leaned her head on the door for a moment.

"Maybe you should go too," she said quietly.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay? On you couch," he said, adding the last part quickly.

"You would do that?" she asked, surprised.

"You would too, if you saw the disturbed look on your face," he said softly, and Sharon dropped her gaze.

(***)

The next day, Sharon didn't hear a word from Richard. It bothered her, because she knew he wasn't going to leave her until he gets what he wants, and she was sure he wanted something. She tried to ignore the thought of him all day, without much success.

After work she went home alone, since Flynn had an AA meeting. He offered to skip it and accompany her, but she wouldn't hear about it. Eventually, they settled on him coming over after the meeting.

Sharon was sitting at the table with her laptop, checking the time every few minutes. Flynn was supposed to be there half an hour ago, but she didn't hear from him. She figured the meeting lasted longer than expected, so in the meantime she made sure the door was locked and tried not to think about Richard.

Her iPhone startled her when it rang. The screen showed "Lt. John Martin". She wondered for a moment if she should take the call after evading him ever since he asked her out. Eventually she decided to answer. "Lieutenant Martin, hi," she said.

"Sharon… where are you?" he asked right away, skipping the small talk.

"I'm… home, why?" she asked in confusion, thinking that it was a weird way to ask her out, if that's what he was doing.

"FID was just called on a scene where an officer was attacked," he said, pausing for a second. Sharon felt her heart sink. There's only one reason for him to call her with that information.

"It's someone from my division, isn't it?" she asked in fear.

"Yes, actually… It's Lieutenant Flynn. And he was with special agent Howard, but he's the FBI's concern."

Sharon got to her feet quickly. "Wait, they were both hurt?"

Martin told her to meet him in the hospital and get all the details there. She grabbed her purse and jacket, and headed out quickly, almost running.

By the time she reached the hospital, the whole squad was there, standing outside Flynn's room. Sharon scanned them for a second and saw Provenza talking to Martin. She approached them and they stopped talking. "Captain Raydor -"

"I want to know all the details," she cut Martin off anxiously, to Provenza's surprise.

"Okay…" Martin said slowly. "Lieutenant Flynn was at an AA meeting –"

"With agent Howard," Provenza interrupted him. Sharon nodded and looked back at Martin.

"Anyway, after they said goodbye, agent Howard went to his car, which was parked somewhere else because he was late and couldn't find a parking space near the –"

Provenza was too impatient to listen to all the little details. He took a step forward and cut Martin off again, saying, "Flynn was attacked in the parking lot by two guys and when he shot at them, agent Howard heard it and ran back to help him. Now they're both injured."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Sharon's eyes widened in fear. "How badly injured are they?" she asked quietly.

"Agent Howard has a few bruises, since he scared off the attackers and they only punched him once or twice to get away," Martin said quickly, before Provenza can interrupt him again.

"Flynn," Provenza said, emphasizing the name and sending Martin a piercing look, "also has some bruises, and quite a few stitches."

Sharon drew in a sharp breath of concern but let it out fast enough, regaining her posture. "Um… can I see him? Them?" she added the last word quickly.

"Flynn's in this room," Provenza pointed at the door behind her, "and Fritz is in the one next to it," his finger moved to indicate a door down the hall.

Sharon nodded, thanking him, and walked to the nearest room. She opened the door and entered quietly, closing it behind her. Flynn was lying on the hospital bed with his eyes shut. He had a black eye and a nasty cut on the corner of his mouth. Sharon walked to his bed and looked at him for a few seconds before he opened his eyes.

"I stood you up," he said and tried to chuckled, but it hurt. "Ouch."

Sharon looked at the door to make sure it was still close. She turned back to Flynn and put her hand on his head, caressing it slightly.

"Why do you look so sad?" he asked wearily.

"Did you recognize the attackers or have any idea who might want to hurt you?" she ignored his question. She knew what he was about to answer, but she asked anyway.

"No… and not really. I mean, a few years ago, Rick Zuman sent someone to kill me, but I don't think it's him again," he adjusted his body on the bed and his face twitched in pain.

"I remember," Sharon said slowly. "I'll look into it, but I don't think it's him either."

"Who do you think it is?" Flynn asked, surprised. He wasn't sure what she meant.

"I… don't know," she stuttered. "I mean, Chief Johnson didn't leave any loopholes in his case."

"Oh, yeah…" he said quietly. They looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"Okay, you get some rest," she said and looked at the door again. Seeing that it was still closed, she bent down and kissed him gently on the cheek, close to this mouth.

(***)

As soon as Sharon reached the hospital parking floor, she called the number of the disposable cell that has been calling her all week. She tried twice while walking to her car, but nobody answered. Eventually, she decided to text that number the words 'I know it's you. Answer', and waited a few minutes before calling again. "Sharon," Richard answered finally. "Did you do one of your police magic tricks to connect that number to me?"

"Oh, no… no, I just know you too well," she said, trying to keep her cool. Her car was visible now a few feet away from her. "I need to speak with you."

"We can meet tomorrow," he sounded bored with the conversation.

"NOW," Sharon said firmly.

"Wow, who are you?" he chuckled, "where's my sweet Sharon?"

"She died twenty years ago. Now, do I need to get a warrant, or will you meet me?"

An hour later, Richard was sitting in Sharon's living room, on the couch. Sharon was sitting in the armchair, looking stern.

"You know, I came because I wanted to, not because of your warrant threats. I'm a lawyer, remember?" he said, Sharon stared at him. He was so full of himself.

"Why are you in LA?" she asked coldly.

"I'm working on a case for my firm's LA branch," he said and she nodded. "Does the name Lionel Hernandez ring a bell?" Sharon frowned, trying to remember. She knew that name, but couldn't remember from where. Richard waited for her to think for a while, and then said, "you arrested him for murder not long ago. But the DA's going to drop the case for lack of evidence."

"Oh, really? How can you be so sure?" Sharon asked, still trying to remember who he was talking about.

"I believe your only witness was murdered, also, not too long ago," Richard watched Sharon as realization appeared on her face. He smiled and leaned backwards.

"You're involved in that child abduction case?" Sharon was completely shocked.

"I don't know anything about a child abduction case," he said calmly.

"What does Lieutenant Flynn have to do with any of that?" Sharon asked suddenly. She could see on his face that she took him by surprise. He got to his feet and looked down on her with an angry face, and Sharon suddenly remembered the time he hit her, twenty years ago.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Sharon got to her feet quickly. They were standing very close to each other, and she waited to see his reaction to her question. For a moment, he just looked at her and she could tell his mind was racing.

"Your _boyfriend_?" he asked.

"He's NOT my boyfriend," Sharon said, feeling the anger building up inside her, but her voice remained calm.

"Lover?" Richard said, knowing he was annoying her. She didn't react. "Well, whatever he is, I don't know what you mean."

"Really? So it's a coincidence that he was attacked just one day after you met him and he called you 'asshole'?" Sharon insisted. "Believe me, I KNOW what you're like when someone makes you mad."

Richard frowned for a moment, clearly realizing what she was talking about. He rolled his eyes impatiently. "Seriously? You still remember that little push I gave you twenty year ago? Honey…" his tone was so degrading that it made Sharon sick.

"A little push?! You shoved me into a wall, head first, and I got a concussion," her voice was so low, almost a whisper. Anyone who knew her well enough, would've known by her voice that she was really angry.

"You know what, this is going nowhere. I'm leaving," Richard said and walked immediately to the door without waiting for Sharon's response, but she followed him quickly.

"If you hurt him… or anyone else from my division again, I swear, I'll go after your firm," she said in a clear, slow voice. She thought that if this was a cartoon, steam would be coming out of her ears. "You are a defense attorney, so I'm pretty sure you have something to hide. And even if I don't find anything, I'll never, EVER leave you alone." She knew that she was taking a big risk by threatening him, but she had to say it anyway. She wasn't going to be his victim again.

Richard stared at her with rage. He was almost tempted to show her once again who was the boss between the two of them, but her threat seemed real. He swung the door open, letting it hit the wall with a bang as he left the apartment. Sharon stayed in her place until he disappeared from sight, then closed the door quickly and locked it. She leaned her forehead on it for some time, trying to relax.

(***)

The next morning, Provenza brought Flynn home before he went to work. He made sure that he was okay before he left, promising to return in the evening. Flynn knew that Provenza wasn't the nicest person, but he was always a good friend.

Flynn passed most of the morning resting. He tried to call Sharon and get an update on the investigation, but she wouldn't answer. At some point she texted him 'I'll see you later', but didn't call. Provenza answered once, but he didn't give him any details. At one point he thought about getting dressed and head down to the station, but before he could make up his mind, there was a knock on the door. Flynn got to his feet slowly, twitching in pain, and staggered to the door. He opened it and revealed Sharon, who entered quickly, before he could even greet her. She closed the door and looked at him.

"Hi," he said, surprised.

"Hello, how are you feeling?" she asked and helped him go to the couch.

"Like a million dollar," he said sarcastically and Sharon rolled her eyes. They reached the couch and she helped him sit. "How did you get out in the middle of the day?" he asked as she sat down next to him.

"Lunch break," she said shortly.

"Aren't you supposed to use that break for eating?" he leaned back slowly, trying to evade pain.

"STOP questioning me. I came here to see how _you_ were doing," she said slowly.

"Well… now you're seeing me. I'm fine. Any leads in the investigation?"

Sharon could tell he was upset. It didn't make her angry with him, just empathetic. She looked at him sadly for a moment, and then said, "Not yet. The guy you shot left DNA on the scene, but we didn't get a match in the system." Flynn let out air in disappointment. Sharon put her hand just above his knee and smiled bitterly. She felt guilty for not telling him about her suspicions, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Are you sure you don't know anything?" Flynn asked suddenly. He was frowning, and Sharon wasn't sure if he was in pain, angry or just concentrated.

"What do you mean?" she asked, as monotonically as possible.

"I just feel like you know something that you're not telling me," he said and leaned forward again. Sharon pulled her hand back from his knee awkwardly, not sure what to say.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

"We don't know anything yet," she wasn't exactly lying; the squad really didn't have any leads. Still, Sharon felt bad for not telling him the whole truth.

"Oh... What about your… husband?" he asked hesitantly. Sharon's heart skipped a bit. "Is he giving you any trouble?"

"Me? Oh… no, not really," she tried to smile.

"If you need help with him, tell me," he said and muttered "ouch" as he moved the wrong way.

Sharon looked at him and sighed. "And here I was, thinking that this visit would be all about you," she smiled at him. Flynn always saw something comforting in her smile. She didn't use it a lot, but he liked it when she did. He put his hand on hers and smiled back. Sharon looked at his bruised knuckles and put her other hand on top of his as she looked at him. Flynn bent forward slowly and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Sharon froze, afraid to hurt him.

"Ouch," he chuckled when he pulled back. Sharon smiled again and released his hand.

Two minutes later she was already walking back to her car, after saying goodbye.

(***)

In the evening, Provenza declared he was going to visit Flynn, and anyone interested in joining him is welcome. His words resulted in the entire squad leaving with him, except for Sharon, who said she had to go and pick up Rusty, who was about to return from the field trip.

After the squad left, Sharon grabbed her purse and jacket and walked to the elevators. She pushed the button and waited. The silence around her was dense, and it was like a signal for her mind to start working. Her thoughts sounded loud and clear inside her head as she stood there alone. She couldn't help but worry about Richard and his schemes. She was still sure he wanted something from her.

The elevator doors swung open and John Martin stepped out of it, surprising her. "John… I thought you left," she stuttered.

"I did," he said, looking somewhat embarrassed, "but you've been avoiding me, so I decided to come back and… ask you out again."

Sharon arched her eyebrows in surprise. "I…" she seemed to be reacting the same hesitanting way every time he brought that subject up. She let out air, thinking about the right thing to say. "Why do you even want this? You're about ten years younger than I am."

"Age is just a number, isn't it?" he asked, smiling.

"But…" Sharon had no idea how to get out of this one.

"Are you seeing someone? Is that it?" Martin asked and squinted as he tried to study her facial reaction.

"What? No," Sharon said, hoping she sounded credible. If FID found out that she was having an affair with one of her detectives, it would be the end of her career.

"So there shouldn't be any problem if we go out, right?" he asked. Sharon kept quiet for a moment, trying to find an excuse, but her mind was blank.

"I guess not…" she muttered and Martin smiled.

"Great, so… Friday?"

Sharon said yes, and they both entered the elevator. Martin was happy he finally got a straight answer from Sharon, who was still trying to find a way out.

(***)

Sharon picked up Rusty and took him home after they stopped for dinner. He was exhausted but happy. When they arrived home, he went straight to bed after taking a shower.

The next day, there was a faculty retreat in Rusty's school, and he could stay home and sleep in. He woke up just before noon and walked lazily towards the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. At the entrance to the living room, he stopped dead. There was a woman sitting on the couch, alone.

"Excuse me?" he said carefully. The woman turned her head quickly to look at him and yelped in surprise, getting on her feet.

"Oh, my god! Are you Rusty? You scared me!" she said quickly, her hand on her chest and breathing fast.

"_I_ scared you? Who are you?" Rusty asked in confusion.

"I'm Catherine… but everyone calls me Cat," she pushed back a lock of ginger hair.

"Wait… you're Sharon's daughter?" Rusty asked in shock. The young woman in front of him couldn't have been more different than Sharon. Apart from her red hair, she had a completely different vibe and the black mini skirt with the see-trough pantyhose were not something he could imagine Sharon wearing. The white knitted sweater was wide and gave contrast to her bottom half, but her overall look was pretty hot in his opinion. "I thought you were a brunette," he muttered, thinking about a picture of hers that Sharon had showed him once.

"WERE is the key word," she smiled. "I've been a proud red-head for five years now."

"Oh… cool. Did Sharon tell you to wait here for her?" he asked, taking two steps forward absent-mindedly.

"She doesn't know I'm here yet. I arrived from San Diego like an hour ago."

"Right, Sharon told me you were living there. Said you're a kindergarten teacher."

"Yep, that's me. She never said it in words, but I'm pretty sure she wanted me to be a doctor," Cat smiled.

Rusty kept quiet for a moment, not sure what to say. "Why aren't you going to see her at work?" he asked eventually.

"I'm not sure I know where it is," she said, shrugging, "I know they switched buildings a few years ago and I haven't visited her at work for ages."

"I can give you the address," Rusty said and watched Cat as a mischievous smile appeared on her face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

An hour later, Cat stepped out of the elevator and walked to the murder room. Her heart was pounding in her chest with every step she took. She had no idea how her mother would react to her showing up there unexpectedly. When she entered the murder room, she looked around at the squad members who were sitting at their desks, each of them clearly busy with something.

"Excuse me?" she said hesitantly and they all looked up at once. Provenza arched his eyebrows in surprise for a moment and then got up.

"Why, hello there," he said, smiling. Flynn, who insisted on coming back for work, shook his head.

Sanchez got to his feet too and walked around the desk towards her. "How can I help you?" he asked nicely. Tao and Sykes were watching with interest from their seats.

"Actually, I'm looking for Captain Sharon Raydor," Cat said without giving them any details. Their reaction was amusing, and she played along.

"Well, she's not in her office and I'm in charge when she's not around," Provenza said proudly. "Just tell me what you need."

"Actually, Sir, you've got a lot of work to do. I just finished what I was doing, so I can help her," Sanchez insisted and Cat tried not to laugh.

"Detective Sanchez, if you're done with your work, you can continue with mine while I'm helping that lovely young lady," Provenza tried to sound pleasant, but his voice became a bit firm. Cat watched as Sanchez looked at him grudgingly, but Provenza wouldn't budge. For a moment, she was afraid they'd get into a fight. She was just about to tell them who she really was, when a voice called behind her.

"Catherine?" Sharon looked at her in shock. Cat turned to see her and smiled.

"Mother!" she said and walked to her, wrapping her arms around her. Provenza and Sanchez exchanged amazed looks. Tao arched his eyebrows and Sykes smiled. Flynn squinted as he watched the two women, trying to find similarity between them.

"What are you doing here?" Sharon asked, still in shock and hugging her back hesitantly.

Cat pulled away. "I'm fine, how are you?" she asked sarcastically and smiled.

"What's wrong?" Sharon asked. She knew her daughter too well.

"Oh, my god. Can't I visit my mother just because I feel like it?" Cat asked, trying to sound offended.

"No," Sharon said honestly, stretching the word. She looked at her daughter for a moment, and then started walking to her office without saying a word.

"Mom!" Cat said in reproach and followed her. They both entered the office and Sharon closed the door behind them. She walked around her desk and sat. Cat looked around for a moment and then sat too, across the desk. "Wow, nice place. I feel like I'm in the principal's office," she said, trying to get her mother to smile. Sharon squinted a little and examined her. "Can you stop worrying?" Cat said and sighed.

"No, I'm a mother. That's what we do. What happened?"

"Fine!" Cat crossed her arms on her chest, taking her time to answer. She couldn't find a soft way to tell her mother what her problem was.

"Well?" Sharon asked in her low voice.

"I was fired," Cat said at once. Sharon closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.

"Why?"

"I… kind of… got involved with one of the fathers in the kindergarten," she said the last part really fast.

"You… what?" Sharon stuttered. Her voice still sounded calm, but she felt her heart racing. "You got involved with a married man?" She was stunned. That wasn't the way she raised her daughter.

"Well… he stayed behind one day and told me they were getting a divorce. One thing led to another…" Cat was embarrassed. It seemed like she was shrinking in her chair. Sharon took a deep, slow breath and asked to hear the rest of the story.

"When we started seeing each other, he said we needed to keep it a secret until the divorce was final… so we did. Next thing I know, his wife finds out about us and HE calls my boss, saying that I seduce him. So she fired me."

Sharon stared at her for a while, trying to determine if she was being honest. Knowing her child, she tended to believe her. "Catherine…" she said quietly, her voice soft.

"I had no idea what to do," Cat said, her eyes teary. "The first thing I thought was to pack my things and come here."

"It's going to be okay," Sharon grabbed her hand from across the desk and smiled at her.

"Oh… there's one more thing you need to know…" Cat said, somewhat afraid.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

Sharon pulled her hand back. She couldn't bring herself to talk.

"M… mom?" Cat stuttered, concerned. It was very rare to see her mother lost for words.

Sharon took another deep breath. After thinking for a moment in silence, she asked, "what do you want to do?" she tried to keep her voice calm, but it was a little shaky.

"I thought I'd move back to LA, maybe start a daycare," Cat said, knowing that she wasn't telling her mother what she really wanted to know.

Sharon nodded. "And…?" she asked. It was clear to her that Cat knew what she was asking about.

"Mom." Cat looked angry.

"What are you going to do with –?"

"I'm twenty-nine, not sixteen. I can raise a baby."

"With what money?" Sharon wasn't about to make it easy on Cat. She wanted her to think it through from the very beginning.

"I told you about the daycare!" Cat started to feel frustrated.

"Do you have enough money to start a business?" Sharon asked calmly and caught a glimpse of Provenza, who was looking at them curiously from the murder room.

"I have some savings… and dad will help me."

Sharon froze. She looked at her daughter, considering her words. She never talked ill about Richard in front of her children, and she didn't want to start now, but she knew that his promises couldn't be trusted. "Okay," She said eventually.

"That's it?" Cat was confused.

"Yes."

"Okay…" she said slowly and studied her mother's face. As usual, it didn't give her any indication for her state of mind. "Is it alright for me to stay with you for a few days? Just until I find a place of my own."

"Of course. But you're not making Rusty sleep on the couch. It's HIS room now," Sharon said firmly and Cat raised her eyebrows.

"I won't mess with him," she said and chuckled.

Sharon nodded again. "Now," she said, getting to her feet. She walked around the desk and reached Cat's chair. Cat looked up at her, not sure if she should be scared or not. "Give me a hug," Sharon said and smiled. Cat let out air in relief and got up to hug her.

A few minutes later, Cat walked out of the office. She smiled at Provenza and Sanchez and waved as she left the murder room.

"What a shame," Provenza muttered.

"Yeah," Sanchez nodded as he watched Cat disappearing behind the door.

"Ahem," they suddenly heard and turned to see Sharon, looking stern.

"Ah, Captain," Provenza said, "you have a beautiful daughter." Sharon squinted as she looked at him, and Provenza wished he had something to do at that moment.

(***)

On Friday night, Sharon came to see Flynn for a short while since he didn't come to work. She wanted to see how he was feeling and to tell him about her reluctant date with John Martin. They were sitting in the kitchen with two cups of coffee and Flynn listened as Sharon talked. "So, I had to say yes…" she muttered as she finished. Her relationship with Flynn was undefined. They never talked about it, so nothing between them was clear.

Flynn looked at her without saying a word. He wanted to go to the door, lock it and hide the key, but instead he just muttered "alright" and tried not to sound upset. He didn't think he had any right to stop Sharon from going out with other men.

Sharon didn't expect such a cold reaction. It made her a little angry. She wanted to go right now and meet with Martin out of spite. "How are your wounds?" she changed the subject abruptly.

"Fine. Healing," he said shortly and looked at her.

"Okay," she said and put her cup down, "I have to go." They both got on their feet quickly and walked to the door in an awkward silence.

"See you later," Flynn said coldly and opened the door for her. He wanted to close it right back and kiss her, refuse to let her go, but his body wouldn't obey his brain. Instead, he just stood there and waited for her to react.

"Yes," Sharon replied coldly, although she wanted to yell at him for not caring. She stepped outside, buttoning her jacket against the cold wind, and walked to her car without looking back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

Flynn's reaction to her date with Martin echoed in Sharon's head all the way to the bar, where they were set to meet. When she walked from her car to the entrance, she thought for a moment to turn around and go home, but at that precise moment she saw Martin smiling at her, standing a few feet from the door. She forced a smile and approached him. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, stalling for a moment before pulling back. They entered the dim light of the bar and sat at a table in the corner. Martin stared at Sharon, smiling, and she suddenly found the idea of hiding under the table very alluring.

"John," she started, trying to break the immensely awkward silence, "can I ask you a question and get an honest answer?"

"Sure," he said, just as the waitress came to take their orders. Sharon chose white wine and Martin ordered a beer. She waited a moment after the waitress left, before asking her question.

"Why did you really ask me out?" she squinted, examining his face for a reaction. Martin just smiled.

"Is it so hard for you to believe that you're wanted?" he asked in a soft voice. Sharon looked him in the eyes without responding. He leaned forward and grabbed her hand, returning her a deep gaze.

Sharon felt uncomfortable, but didn't move her hand. "Why didn't you ever tell me anything about it?" she asked.

Martin chuckled. "While you were in FID?" he replied with a question, but Sharon knew what he was talking about. She probably would have fired him if he'd made a move on her when she was still his boss in FID.

About an hour later, Sharon and Martin were standing next to her car. Sharon refused at first, but he insisted on walking her to it, and she was too tired to argue.

"I had a great time," Martin said in a low voice. Sharon smiled at him and nodded, but didn't say a word. She half turned to open the car door but Martin grabbed her shoulders, turning her body back towards him, and tilted his head down to kiss her. Before Sharon could even think if she wanted it or not, Martin brought his lips to hers and put his arms around her waist. Sharon frowned as she parted her lips, allowing his tongue to reach hers. She put her hands on his waist hesitantly, trying to feel the kiss. She didn't feel the excitement, no weakness in the knees. She pulled back and looked at him awkwardly. Martin was smiling. He obviously felt something completely different in this kiss.

"Goodnight," she said, almost whispering. Martin kissed the back of her hand and watched her getting into her car.

(***)

Sharon entered her apartment and found Cat watching TV in the living room. She turned it off right away and ordered her mother to sit with her.

"Where's Rusty?" Sharon asked as she sat down wearily next to her.

"Asleep. He was tired," Cat shrugged. "Now, who's the guy?"

Sharon arched her eyebrows in surprise. She told Rusty and Cat that she was going to meet with a friend. "What guy?" she tried to sound credible.

"Come on, Mom. I know women. The makeup, the clothes… it was a man," Cat smiled. Sharon sighed. She knew there was no way out of it.

"Someone I used to work with," she said quietly so that Rusty wouldn't hear, in case he wasn't asleep.

"And…?"

Sharon shook her head. "Nothing."

"Oh…" Cat sounded disappointed. She always tried to push her mother to go on dates when she was a teenager, and now was no different. Sharon wanted to tell her about Flynn, but she wasn't sure there was still something between them. Besides, she thought it would be best if no one knew about it. Cat yawned, and Sharon got to her feet so she can go to sleep. She kissed her daughter's forehead and said goodnight before walking to her room.

Sharon looked at her bed as she changed her clothes. She thought about Flynn, and wondered what he was doing at that moment. If only he had used the word "stay"… she could have been with him right now, doing who knows what… she felt angry with herself for thinking about him this much. Even at work, sometimes she found herself staring at him, or just daydreaming, thinking about their moments together. She was terrified of what was happening to her. Especially because their relationship was impossible for the long term. She got into this undefined thing with the decision not to get emotionally attached with him, but somehow it was happening without her having any control of that.

She got into her bed, feeling the urge to text him something, but she stopped herself. As she lied in the darkness, trying to silence her thoughts, she knew she won't be hearing from him until they meet on Monday morning.

(***)

Monday was awkward for Sharon. Her gaze wandered to Flynn every now and then, and every time he caught her eyes she felt her cheeks heating up. They didn't smile at each other or exchanged words that weren't work related, and even those words were said in a colder tone than the usual businesslike one.

In the late afternoon, Sharon texted Cat, asking her to take Rusty out for dinner since they were about to close a case and she knew they'd have to stay after hours. Cat replied right away with the words 'no problem' and Sharon felt relieved. It was nice having someone around to help her a little, and it was even nicer that this someone was her daughter.

Three hours later, Sharon was sitting in her office alone. The murder room was completely empty, and she felt like she needed a moment alone before she went back home. She loved having Rusty in her house and now her daughter too, but sometimes she just needed a moment to herself. She leaned back on her chair, thoughts swirling in her mind rapidly.

Someone entered the murder room and she turned quickly to see Flynn walking toward her office. She frowned, wondering what he was doing there. He was the second one to leave work today and she was sure he was long gone. Her eyes followed him on his way to her office door. He stood outside for a moment before he opened it, looking at her through the glass.


	16. Chapter 16

**Attention: this chapter is rated M.**

**Chapter 16:**

Flynn entered the office, closing the door behind him, and sat down across the desk. Sharon looked at him, waiting for him to say something, but he just looked back at her. It seemed like he was trying to find the words, but not quite succeeding.

"Andy…" Sharon started, but the second she did, Flynn found his words, as if her voice was a trigger.

"Did you have fun on Friday?" he didn't sound angry, but not exactly happy either.

Sharon smiled bitterly. She looked up and shook her head, fighting the urge to yell at him. "It was nice," she said eventually, her voice quiet and calm. Flynn got to his feet, frustrated, and Sharon examined him from her seat. He started to walk around the desk towards her, but stopped a few steps before reaching her.

Sharon waited to see if he would talk again. He stared at her for a moment in silence, wondering why he even cared. He tried not to think about her all weekend, but it was useless. He kept wondering if she went home with Martin, and it didn't help to tell himself he had no reason to be bothered by it. "So… did he invite you over for coffee?" his tone was stern.

"Did… excuse me?" Sharon said as she got up, feeling the anger building up inside her. She knew exactly what he meant by asking her that, and she didn't like it.

"Nothing, you know, I just thought you should let me know it the two of you… got serious," Flynn's tone was clearly angry now. Sharon suppressed the urge to slap him. She couldn't believe he was asking that.

"Maybe you should go home before one of us says something… we WORK together," she emphasized the word to remind him where they were.

"Yeah, maybe I _should_ go," Flynn's tone was on the verge of yelling. Sharon didn't reply and they stared at one another in rage.

"We need to forget everything that has happened between us," she said coldly. Flynn didn't say a word. He looked at her for a few seconds and suddenly took a few steps forward, put his hands on her cheeks and brought his lips to hers. Sharon put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but Flynn didn't move. His tongue reached hers and he continued to kiss her with passion mixed with rage. They were both still angry at one another, and for a moment it seemed like they were battling inside their mouths. Sharon moved her hands from his chest to his waist, absent-mindedly as her mind went blank. She forgot that she was trying to push him away, all she could concentrate on was the kiss.

Flynn felt like he had to have her right there and then. His hands traveled down her neck, through her shoulders and down her back, resting finally on her backside. He pulled her body closer to his, feeling her breasts on his chest, then moved his hands again and started to unbutton her shirt. She moved her head back, breaking contact with his lips.

"We can't do that," she whispered, short of breath. Flynn's fingers continued to unbutton her shirt, one by one, revealing more and more her black lace bra. Her mind wanted to object, but it was useless. Her body wanted the exact opposite, and it wouldn't obey her brain. Flynn reached the last button that was not tucked in her skirt and she just stood there as he bent down and kissed her breasts.

Sharon wanted both to undress him and to hit him at the same time. Flynn stopped kissing her and took a step back, looking at her in her eyes. "You didn't answer my question," he still sounded irritated, "did you... get serious with that idiot?"

"Maybe I _did_," Sharon said in her dangerous, quiet tone, the one she only used when she was really angry. They looked at each other firmly in what seemed to be a staring match. Nothing like this has ever happened to her. The need to feel his body on hers grew inside her. The angrier she was, the more she wanted him.

Flynn's eyes moved to her breasts for a second before he moved towards her again and started kissing her neck frantically. Sharon closed her eyes and ran her hand through his hair. She felt him moving forward, causing her to move backwards until she felt the wall against her back. She unbuttoned his shirt hastily and touched his chest. Flynn unzipped his pants quickly and pulled them down just enough, along with his underwear. Sharon could feel his erection against her body. She bent over and reached under her skirt in a frenzy to remove her underwear and they fell quickly to the floor. She grabbed the back of his neck, pulling his body closer to hers, and kissed his lips.

Flynn reached down for her right leg and lifted it, holding it against his waist, without breaking the kiss. He put his hand between her legs and pushed his fingers inside her. Sharon let out a soft moan and bit her lips as she leaned her head on the wall behind her, her hands on his shoulders. Flynn moved his fingers inside her back and forth and watched her as she started to breathe fast, her mouth partially open.

His fingers caressed her a few times as he kissed her neck, before he pulled them out and penetrated her in a rush. Sharon closed her eyes, taking in the sensation. He started moving inside her and she muttered quietly as his hard thrusts were sending vibrations through her body. She felt his lips on her neck as he continued to move back and forth fast. He pulled her body to him with every thrust, magnifying the intensity of the movement. Sharon could feel how he was taking his anger out on her through his body, and she loved it. Her right arm crawled under his shirt on his upper back, her nails digging in his skin, while her left hand grabbed his hair, holding it tight.

He continued to move inside her with fast thrusts for a while, making it hard for her to breathe. Her moans became faster and louder gradually, giving him the approval for what he was doing. Flynn felt the anger inside him being replaced by relief when she called his name blissfully in between yeses, announcing her orgasm, and he came with a few quiet moans. He continued to move but his movements decreased more and more until he eventually stopped. They both panted as he leaned his forehead on hers and she closed her eyes.

"Nothing happened," she whispered so quietly that Flynn could barely hear her. His heart skipped a beat, he knew she was referring to her date with John Martin.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

Sharon and Flynn walked slowly to the elevator without saying a word. Sharon had a little smile on her face. Flynn glanced at her for a second and smiled too. He pushed the button and they both faced the closed doors, waiting for the elevator to reach the floor. Flynn moved closer to Sharon and put his arm around her waist. Her smile grew just as the elevator doors opened and she stepped into it, moving away from his touch. He followed her inside and waited for the doors to close after Sharon pushed the button of the parking floor. They kept quiet, enjoying each other's company in silence.

When the elevator opened in the parking floor, Sharon stepped outside right away and started walking to her car. She knew that Flynn would follow her, being the gentleman that he was. He wanted to say goodbye and walk away, but he felt that he had to give her one last kiss. It was like a burning urge, stronger than him, something he hadn't felt in years and years.

Flynn pushed that thought aside as Sharon reached to open the car door. Before she managed that, he grabbed her arm and turned her to him. His lips touched hers before she realized what was happening. It took her by surprise, but she liked it. She always knew that Flynn was passionate about his job, but she loved discovering that he was like that in other aspects of life too. He took his time kissing her, engraving in his mind her taste, her smell, her touch… Eventually he moved from her lips to her cheek, placing a little kiss there and then pulled away. Sharon wanted to return him the favor, but there were still some walls inside her that prevented her from letting him know how she was feeling. She just smiled at him and muttered "goodbye".

"See you tomorrow," he said, casting her one last smile before he turned and walked away. Sharon watched him until he disappeared behind a corner. A thunder shattered the silence with a loud noise and Sharon hurried into her car, hoping to get home before the rain catches her.

(***)

"Mom, look who's here!" Cat said the second Sharon opened the door. She looked around and saw Richard sitting in the living room with Cat and Rusty.

"Hello, Richard," she said coldly as she walked towards them.

"Dad took us to dinner," Cat said, smiling.

"Oh," Sharon nodded, trying not to look bothered by his presence. She found it hard keeping up the pretense with Richard. Rusty frowned as he seemed to have noticed that, and Sharon smiled at him.

"I've invited Cat to live with me during her pregnancy, since _you_ can't have her," Richard said and smiled. Cat thought he was being nice but Sharon knew that smile too well. It was condescending, hypocrite.

"Can I talk to you alone, for a moment?" Sharon said without responding to his announcement.

"Sure," Richard said and got to his feet. Sharon pointed at her bedroom and he followed her there, closing the door behind them.

An old memory appeared in her mind and she felt chills going through her body. It was a memory from about a month before she left Richard, twenty years ago. She was lying awake in her bed late at night when he came back, drunk, from another poker game where he lost all of his money again. She got up and confronted him about his addictions, but instead of arguing, he started touching her, ignoring her refusal. Sharon tried to fight him but he was stronger than her. She couldn't yell because of the children. She just kept begging him to stop, but he only laughed, stinking from alcohol, as he pushed hard inside her.

Sharon stood with her back to Richard and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the shame taking over her again, just like it did every time she remembered that horrible night. No matter how many times she told herself that it wasn't her fault, it didn't matter. She knew that she couldn't have gone to the police about it because back in the days the law didn't acknowledge marital rape, but nothing took the shame away. She always thought she should have fought him harder.

"What do you want?" his voice startled her and she turned to face him.

"You didn't say you were staying in California," she said coldly.

"I got an offer yesterday to run the LA branch of my firm. So, surprise, surprise…" a mean smile appeared on his face.

"What are you trying to do with Catherine?" Sharon asked, trying to keep her voice calm. Richard didn't answer. He looked up and down her body and smiled again.

"You know," he said slowly, as if he was enjoying the pain that his words caused her, "you look pretty hot for a woman your age," he chuckled and took a step towards her.

Sharon swallowed hard and tried to remain calm. "Get out of my house," she said quietly. Her voice sounded just as firm as the look in her eyes was. "I'm not the person I was twenty years ago."

Richard didn't move. For a moment, Sharon wanted to reach for her gun, but remembered it wasn't on her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

Richard took another step forward, smiling, and put his hand on Sharon's cheek. She moved her head right away but didn't move backwards. "I won't say it again," she said quietly. Richard lowered his hand and chuckled. He looked at her for another moment and then turned around and left the room.

Sharon sighed in relief and followed him. She watched him as he said goodbye quickly and left, leaving Cat confused.

"Why do you two always have to fight?" Cat asked after the door closed behind Richard. Sharon didn't answer. She couldn't tell her daughter the painful truth about her father. Cat rolled her eyes in annoyance and walked to the bathroom angrily. Sharon waited for her to close the door and then sat down next to Rusty, who was watching them quietly.

"You don't like him much, do you?" he said. Sharon examined his face. He looked concerned and she found it awfully cute. She smiled at him without answering. "Me neither," he said.

"So… how's school?" she changed the subject.

(***)

"Good morning, everyone," Sharon said when she entered the murder room two days later. Provenza got to his feet and approached her right away.

"The DA's office dropped the case against Lionel Hernandez," he said quietly and Sharon frowned. "They say they have no concrete evidence without Adama." Sharon sighed in frustration. "So another asshole is getting off scot-free," Provenza said grumpily. Sharon opened her mouth to speak but Provenza continued, "speaking of assholes, Hernandez' lawyer is here," he pointed to show her, and Sharon followed his finger and saw Richard standing next to her office door, looking at her.

Flynn was looking at Richard, he seemed irritated. Sharon knew that he could feel the tension between her and Richard, but he didn't know the reason for it.

"Hello, dear," Richard said to Sharon from across the room. All the squad members turned to look at him with surprised faces. Sharon rolled her eyes and walked to him.

"Dear?" Sykes sounded confused.

"Well, yes. I may have neglected to mention my name. Richard Raydor," he smiled. He was obviously enjoying the moment, knowing how annoyed Sharon probably was, although she wouldn't let it show.

She stopped a few steps from him, holding the strap of her purse. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, aware of everyone's stare.

"I need to talk to you. Our last conversation was… cut short," his mean smile appeared for a second on his face.

"I've got work to do," she said shortly and entered her office. Richard followed her, ignoring what she said. He slammed the door behind him and Sharon startled. She turned to look at him and tried to keep her expression calm.

"I hope you don't object to Cat moving in with me," he said, "because that would end badly."

"Are you threatening me?" she said quietly. The entire squad was looking at them through the glass walls of her office.

"Oh, no, never," Richard scoffed. Sharon examined his face for a moment. She knew that he only wanted to take Cat in to annoy her.

"I won't object, because I don't mind," she said eventually and suppressed a smile when Richard arched his eyebrows in surprise.

"You don't mind? Since when? You always tried to keep our children away from me."

"Cat is old enough to know what's good for her," Sharon remained calm. Richard looked at her for a moment. He looked like a child that lost his favorite game, and Sharon loved it.

"Fine," he muttered and walked to the door. He gave her a quick glance over his shoulder, as if he wanted to check again that it was really her, and left. Sharon shook her head. She knew what was going to happen with Cat. She waited for him to exit the murder room before she left her office and went to the restroom, to calm down away from the squad members' looks. The door closed behind her but opened again before she could enter the stall. She turned around and her eyes widened in shock when she saw Flynn.

"Are you crazy?!" she whispered nervously as Flynn locked the door.

"What's going on with your husband? Something's off with him," he said while checking the stalls to make sure they were alone. He reached the last one and turned to look at her.

"Nothing's going on with him. Family matters," she said monotonically. "Get out."

"Are you afraid of him for some reason?" Flynn asked, examining her face. As usual, her expression told him nothing. Sharon froze for a moment, surprised.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she said firmly. Flynn approached her, looking somewhat frustrated. He gazed at her for a moment while trying to find his words.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

"Andy, really… _get out_," Sharon said quietly, "we'll talk about it la…"

"He worries me. Is he dangerous?"

Sharon let out air. She didn't know if she should push him out of the restroom, or hug him for worrying about her. "Let me help you," Flynn said when she didn't answer.

"NO," her voice was stern. The image of Flynn in the hospital bed appeared in her mind. She didn't want him to get hurt again because of her. "But thank you." His frustrated face made her smile. She took a step forward and kissed him gently, her hand on his shoulder. It's been so long since she had someone to turn to, that she barely remembered what it felt like. She pulled away and Flynn tilted his head down to kiss her again, but she put her fingers on his lips to stop him and said, "go away."

Flynn smiled at her for a moment before he left.

(***)

Hours later, Flynn walked out of the elevator and into the parking floor, on his way to his car. In the morning he parked close to Sharon's car, thinking that he'd be walking her to her car again, but she had to stay a little longer with Taylor and he decided to go.

From a distance he saw a man leaning against Sharon's car. Flynn got a little closer and recognized Richard. Before he could think about it, his legs led him behind the nearest car, and he ducked out of sight, waiting for Sharon to arrive so he can finally know what's going on between these two. He knew it was wrong, but he was too intrigued to just go away now.

Twenty minutes Flynn waited behind that car. The elevator doors opened just as he thought to leave. He heard heels and looked from his hiding place, just in time to see Sharon walking towards her car. She froze for a second when she saw Richard waiting for her, but then she continued to walk until she was a few feet from him.

"Are you serious?" she asked, barely able to hide her anger anymore.

"What, your boyfriend's not walking you to your car today?" Richard chuckled. "Careful, I might hurt you."

"Stop following me. I'm not afraid of you," Sharon's voice was steady, but inside she was terrified. Richard took a few quick steps towards her, almost closing the gap between them. His face was angry.

"What did you tell Cat?" he asked with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"She called and yelled at me for how badly I treated you when we were still together," Richard raised his voice, "did you tell her that absurd lie about me… raping you?!"

Sharon swallowed hard. She only confronted him once about that matter, just before she left him twenty years ago, and now he brought it up so carelessly. Flynn arched his eyebrows in surprise. He had to fight the urge to get out from behind that car and punch Richard in the face as he felt rage boiling inside of him.

"I didn't tell her anything," Sharon said firmly, "and you know well it's now a lie."

"Oh, come on, Sharon. You're being ridiculous," Richard lowered his voice again, to his usual disparaging one. "Even today, it's almost impossible to prosecute this kind of accusation. You know why? Because it's bullshit." Sharon looked at him with anger. He could see in her eyes how outraged she was, and it only made him want to talk more. It felt good to humiliate her. "There's no such thing as marital rape," he said and took another step towards her, "you know what? We're still married, and I think I like the idea of screwing you right here and now."

Flynn stood straight and almost walked over to them. Sharon took a step backwards and put her hand on her gun. "Don't make me use it, because I will," she said in a steady, seemingly strong voice. Her heart pounded so loudly that she wondered whether Richard could hear it or not. Flynn watched them, unnoticed, as Richard raised his hands, as if surrendering, and chuckled.

"You're right, we don't need FID on us now," he said lightly, as if they were joking around.

"You mean, now, that you're working for a cartel?" Sharon asked, her hand still on the gun.

"Seriously? You still think I'm a mobster or something?" Richard laughed loudly. "I'm not working for any cartel, and I didn't get your _boyfriend_ beaten."

Flynn felt like he was about to burst from anger. It started to cloud his judgment, and he found it very hard staying in his hiding place. The urge to go over there and kick Richard's ass was growing by the second.

"I'm warning you, Sharon. You'd better fix this with Cat," Richard said and started walking away. Sharon looked at him for a few seconds as he grew farther and farther.

"You don't scare me," she said a little louder than usual, so he can hear her well.

"Don't take your chances, dear," Richard turned his head towards her as he continued to walk. "Who knows, maybe I AM a mobster," he smiled and disappeared behind a corner. Sharon let out air and leaned back on the car behind her. Her heart was still beating frantically and she covered her eyes with her hands in attempt to relax. Flynn watched her from his hiding place. He wanted to go over there and comfort her, but he was pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate him spying on her.

Sharon stood straight again and walked the little distance she had left to her car, the echoes of her heels filling the big parking floor, piercing the silence.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

Sharon was sitting in the kitchen with Cat, after Rusty went to sleep. She didn't want to talk about Richard with Rusty in the room, but she exchanged meaningful looks with Cat all evening. She waited for Rusty to close the door to his room behind him before she started to talk.

"Catherine…" she started, not sure how to approach the matter.

"It's Cat, mom. Why can't you call me like that? Everyone does," Cat said calmly.

"I called you Catherine after a queen, not Cat after an animal," Sharon explained slowly and Cat rolled her eyes.

"Catherine is too… common," Cat said, but Sharon shook her head. She looked at Cat's hand, which was on the table, and put her own hand on it.

"Cat…" she emphasized her name, "what did you tell your father?"

Cat looked embarrassed. "What did I tell? Nothing special," she said, even though she assumed that her mother probably knew the truth.

"He said you yelled at him for how badly he treated me when we were still together," her voice was quiet. She didn't want Cat to think she was angry with her.

Cat looked at her for a moment without saying a word, obviously considering what to say. "Why didn't you ever say anything?" she asked eventually, "you always let us believe that our dad was the greatest."

"Who told you about it?" Sharon asked calmly, but on the inside she was terrified. She had no idea what Cat knew, and she hoped it was nothing about the rape.

"Grandma. But don't be mad at her!" Cat said quickly when Sharon arched her eyebrows.

"Remind me to rebuke her tomorrow," she muttered angrily. "What did she tell you?"

"She didn't go into details… she just said that dad humiliated you constantly," Cat watched her mother's face for any reaction. She seemed calm, so Cat added in a low voice, "and she said you left him because he hit you."

Sharon sighed in despair. "That's it?" she asked.

"Is there more? My god," Cat said.

"No… nothing really," Sharon hoped she was sounding credible. "Are you still going to live with him?"

"Nope. All of a sudden he doesn't think it was such a good idea, because he's so busy. Or that's what he said, anyway," Cat sounded annoyed. Sharon gave her hand a little squeeze of empathy. "I don't care. I'm used to being disappointed by him," Cat added.

"Honey, I don't mind you staying here, you know that, right?" Sharon asked gently. "I just don't think that the living room can serve as your bedroom for the next nine months." Cat nodded.

"It's less than eight months now. And I just don't wanna go into labor alone," she said quietly.

"Okay, you know what?" Sharon said and got on her feet quickly in a sudden outburst of energy, "tomorrow we'll start looking for an apartment in the vicinity, starting from this street."

Cat smiled. She knew that once her mother got an idea in her mind, nothing could stop her. Sharon was about to say goodnight and go to her room, but Cat stopped her, grabbing her arm. "By the way… I left a few things in my old apartment in San Diego, but I don't want to go there alone."

"We can go on the weekend," Sharon said.

"I have to clear the apartment before noon on Saturday. Maybe I could take Rusty with me on Friday after school. We can pack my things and spend the night in my apartment, and on Saturday I can take him to SeaWorld or something."

"You'd do that?" Sharon asked, surprised.

"Yeah, we kinda bonded over the last few days. He's a smart kid," she smiled.

Sharon returned her a smile and said, "okay… ask him tomorrow and we'll see."

"Actually, I already did," Cat smiled, hoping that her mother wouldn't tell her off for doing it behind her back.

"Catherine…" Sharon said, ignoring the smile.

"He said he'd love to," Cat said quickly, "he sounded pretty excited."

Sharon sighed. She trusted her daughter, yet she couldn't help but worry. She was about to say no, when Flynn's image popped in her mind. It would be the perfect opportunity to spend some time with him. She wanted to ignore the desire to be with him, but it was stronger than her. It felt like a necessity.

"Okay, you can go," she said eventually, feeling somewhat angry with herself, "but you have to call me a lot. And drive safely. And…"

"Great!" Cat got to her feet with a smile. "I'll let him know tomorrow. Goodnight, Mom. Love you!" she said and went to the bathroom before Sharon could reply.

"Love you too…" she muttered and watched Cat closing the door behind her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

"So where do you wanna go? A restaurant?" Flynn asked Sharon quietly as they were standing in a hallway outside the murder room. Sharon had a folder in her hand, and whenever someone passed by, they acted as if they were discussing a case.

"No. We should meet at either your place or mine. Somewhere discrete," she whispered. A patrol officer passed by them and she pointed at a random spot in the folder, seemingly explaining something about the imaginary case.

Flynn waited for the officer to get out of sight before he spoke again. "If you want discrete I can take you to a cheap motel," he smiled mischievously. Sharon sent him a piercing look. "Okay, okay. I know where we can go. I'll pick you up around nine."

"Where are we going?" Sharon asked but Flynn shook his head.

"Don't wear heels," he said quietly before he turned and left the hallway, leaving Sharon intrigued.

(***)

At night, Flynn arrived right on time. Sharon told him to wait for her on the street, so he leaned back on his car and watched her as she walked towards him from the building's entrance. Her coat was in her hand, since it wasn't that cold, and she was wearing a dark purple, tight dress that revealed very little of her thighs. It had long sleeves and a tiny cleavage, and Flynn thought that she looked completely different than he had ever seen her.

She reached him and said, "I had to," with a shy smile on her face as she looked down at her dark purple heels. Flynn's gaze rolled down slowly from the little part he could see of her thighs all the way to her feet.

"We'll manage," he muttered and smiled, still looking at her legs. Sharon moved forward and closed the gap between them, placing a little kiss on his lips.

"This is weird," she chuckled awkwardly.

"What is?" Flynn asked, confused. Sharon wanted to say that this was their first date, but she decided not to. Calling things by their names made them official, and it scared her.

"Nothing. Where are we going?" she changed the subject quickly.

"You said you wanted discrete," he said vaguely and opened the car door to let her in. She looked at him for a moment, wondering if she should insist on knowing their destination, but then decided to play along.

"You're being so mysterious," she said as the car started moving.

Flynn smiled. "I just know you wouldn't wanna go there if I ask you."

"So you're taking me somewhere you know I wouldn't want to go to?"

"Oh, you'll enjoy it eventually," he said in his low, insinuating tone.

Sharon nodded quietly for a moment. "What do you expect will happen, eventually?" she asked slowly and suppressed a smile.

"I can give you a list of things I imagine will happen eventually, but we'll arrive there before I finish," he said and put his hand on her thigh. Sharon turned to look outside the window and smiled slightly.

A little while later, Flynn stopped the car at a deserted point by the beach. It was almost pitch dark, only there was a light coming from the porch of the big house behind them. Sharon arched her eyebrows in surprise.

"You were right. I wouldn't have wanted to come here," she shook her head, but Flynn was already outside, walking over to her. She watched him as he passed in front of the car. He was wearing light blue jeans and a grey buttoned shirt that was not tucked in. Sharon thought it was nice seeing him in something other than the suits he wears for work, even though she would've preferred to see his shirt tucked in.

"Come on," he said when he opened the door for her.

"You've got to be kidding me. What are you, sixteen?" she asked. The thought of being in that dark beach wasn't very assuring.

"Seventeen. Come on!" he said and took her right hand in his to help her out. Sharon sighed and bent down to remove her shoes. Flynn released her hand to let her do it, and then grabbed it again before she had time to regret, and helped her out.

"I hope you know that this is insane," she said calmly, feeling the soft sand under her feet. Suddenly Flynn seemed much taller than the usual.

"There are crazier things we can do," he said with a mischievous smile.

Sharon rolled her eyes but smiled. Somehow, she felt that being in this dark, deserted beach was not scary at all if Flynn was there with her. Chills went through her body as the wind blew hard for a moment, baffling her hair a little. She wrapped her arms around him quietly and laid her head on his chest, allowing his body heat to penetrate her skin. He rubbed her back with his hands for a few seconds, trying to make her warmer.

"Let's go," he said eventually and pulled away.

"What about the people in this house?" she asked in a last attempt to convince him to go back.

"This is my friend's summerhouse. There's no one there," he answered and started walking away from the car with her hand in his.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:**

They moved away from the car and walked to a big, flat rock that was a little higher than the shore. Flynn sat down on the edge of it and reached out to help Sharon sit next to him.

"No," she said firmly.

"Fine, stand then," he said and they both kept quiet for a moment. After a few seconds, Flynn grabbed her hand and pulled her down, causing her to fall to his lap, screaming in fear.

"Are you crazy?" she asked in her monotonic, quiet voice once she was sitting safely.

"How do you manage to talk like that all the time?" Flynn asked while laughing. His hands were on her waist, holding her down as she tried to get up. After a moment of struggle she gave up, sitting between his legs with her back to him. She leaned her head back on his shoulder and put her hands on his arms, which now surrounded her body at the waistline. The ocean was dark and they could only see clearly the very edge of it, which caught a little of light from the big house. The waves rushed to the shore and dissolved on the sand. None of them spoke as they looked at the view, and Sharon noticed the moon's reflection on the water, far away.

"Tomorrow you're taking my dress to dry cleaning," she said all of a sudden, and Flynn laughed again.

"Only if you let me take it off of you first," he said quietly. Sharon smiled but didn't answer. His body felt warm against hers, and she took a moment to concentrate on it.

"What made you join the police?" she asked suddenly.

Flynn frowned. The question came out of nowhere, catching him off guard. "Why?"

"I always wonder that about policemen."

"Well…" Flynn started hesitantly. "When I was in high school, there was a girl that lived on my street and was in my math class. I had a huge crush on her all through high school," he stopped for a moment, watching the waves.

"This story ends badly, doesn't it?" Sharon asked, afraid to hear the rest.

"She was raped and murdered by some creep who broke into her house to rob it while her parents were away."

Sharon sat up and turned to look at him. "Oh, my god," was all she could say. She definitely wasn't expecting to hear that.

"That's why I joined robbery-homicide. And that's why I feel like beating the crap out of your husband," he said quickly without thinking. Only when he saw Sharon's shocked expression he realized he'd made a mistake.

"What?" she almost whispered. "How do you… what are you talking about?" she knew exactly what he was referring to, but had no idea how he could have known about it. Flynn swallowed hard, considering his words.

"I… I'm sorry," he muttered, "I should've told you sooner."

"You should've told me what?" she asked, her voice shaking a little.

"I was in the parking floor the other day, when Richard waited for you by your car."

"But you left work long before I did."

"I saw him waiting there and I didn't want to leave you alone with him."

"So you just hid there and eavesdropped?" Sharon looked him deep in the eyes as if she was trying to find an explanation to his deeds somewhere in the depts. Flynn looked back at her with a guilty expression on his face. He wanted to say something, but he was just lost for words.

Sharon stood up quickly and started walking back to the car. Her feet sank in the sand and she struggled to move fast. Flynn got to his feet too and followed her, trying to reach her, but managed it only when he got to the car, since she had stopped there.

"Sharon…"

"This is not something I wanted anyone to know. Ever," she said quietly, her eyes fixed on the big house to her right. She was afraid to cry if she looked at him.

"I can't change what I did. But… he should be the one trying to hide it, not you," he said gently, knowing that rape victims tend to blame themselves.

Sharon shook her head, still not looking at him. She tilted her head down and looked at her feet. "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?" she said quietly and scoffed.

"I don't think so," the confident in his voice as he said it, caused her to look up at him. She sighed and nodded absent-mindedly.

"I guess I ruined our… whatever this is," Flynn said and they both chuckled.

"Do you know how many times I rejected men ever since I left Richard?" her question was rhetorical but she paused for a moment, as if waiting for an answer. "I preferred being alone," she added quietly.

"So, I'm the exception?" he asked in a low voice and smiled slightly.

Sharon looked at him without saying a word. Her gaze dropped for a second but then she looked him in the eyes again. Flynn thought she was about to tell him off, but all of a sudden she smiled, as if he just told a joke.

"The idea of me being the exception amuses you?" he asked, not sure if the situation was funny or insulting for him.

Sharon took a step forward and flung herself into his arms, bringing her lips to his. Flynn arched his eyebrows for a second, surprised. He reacted a moment later, parting his lips to deepen the kiss. Sharon felt the familiar sensation of the world swirling around her as they stood there, on the slightly lit spot with the ocean sounding in the background and the wind caressing their bodies.


	23. Chapter 23

**(This chapter is rated M)**

**Chapter 23:**

Sharon felt something different in this kiss. There was something else there beside passion. It was like all of her walls were gone now, which allowed her to feel Flynn's emotions through the kiss; deep, honest emotions that she wasn't aware of. She pulled back and examined his face, frowning in disbelief.

"What?" he asked, wondering whether he'd done something wrong. Sharon didn't answer, but kissed him again. She was terrified of the way she felt about him, but something in the way he kissed her told her that he felt the same way. She was never so sure of someone's feeling for her like in that moment. It felt weird to be sure that a man cared for her.

Flynn wrapped his arms around her again in the second kiss, caressing her back and then lowering his hands. Sharon stopped the kiss again and took a step backwards, before things got any further.

"Come here," he smiled and tried to grab her arm but she moved away.

"No, not in the car again," she laughed when he caught her and started kissing her neck, trapping her between his hands with her back against the car. "Wait, let's go to my apartment," she said as she started to feel her inside melting under his touch, as always.

He pulled away and looked at her, his face almost touching hers. "It's a long ride," he muttered.

"And yet… with my busy schedule, I don't get many chances to use my Jacuzzi," she faked a sad face but her voice sounded naughty.

"I'm convinced," he said right away and Sharon smiled. He opened the door for her and watched her getting inside the car.

They drove in silence for a few minutes. Sharon thought about how quickly her bad mood had changed with Flynn's help, even though he wasn't aware of that. Flynn wondered what the fastest route to Sharon's apartment was. He was deeply concentrated on the road when he felt Sharon's hand on his thigh. He glanced at her for a second and saw her face close to his.

Sharon kissed his cheek gently while her hand moved slowly up his thigh. They stopped at a red light and her hand moved to his crotch. Flynn tilted his head back and moaned quietly. The light turned green and Sharon moved her hand down his thigh again. She placed another kiss on his jawline and pulled away, watching him smiling as he resumed driving. She smiled too and turned to look outside the windshield again.

A short while later, Flynn parked the car on the street, in front of the building. He opened the door for Sharon hastily and helped her out, closing it behind her.

"What's the rush?" Sharon asked, amused, as Flynn walked fast, pulling her along. He hurried all the way to the elevator and pushed the button to her floor quickly, panting as the doors closed and the elevator started moving. Sharon tried not to laugh. She sent her hand quietly behind him and put it on his backside. Flynn looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to restrain himself.

The doors opened on her floor as he took her hand in his again and almost ran to her apartment. They reached the door and Sharon pulled the key out of her purse and opened it. Flynn followed her inside and watched her turning the lights on. He grabbed her arm just as she was about to start with the lamps in the living room, and brought her body to his body.

"Leave the damn lights," he muttered and Sharon chuckled. "You promised me a Jacuzzi."

"You'll have to wait, because I want to call my daughter and Rusty."

Flynn sighed in disappointment. "You make your call, I'm gonna get started in the bathroom," he said and turned to the hallway. Sharon watched him entering the bathroom and smiled. She loved seeing how much he wanted her. She stared at the bathroom door for a moment, thinking about him, and then called Cat. They talked for a few minutes and Cat told her about their day and the plans for tomorrow. Eventually they finished the call and Sharon walked to the bathroom, more relaxed after hearing they were okay.

She opened the door and froze for a second when she saw Flynn already sitting in the Jacuzzi. Her eyebrows arched in surprise but she smiled and walked to the middle of the room. She bent down and removed her heels, placing them neatly on the floor. Flynn watched her silently, enjoying the little spontaneous show.

Sharon grabbed the edges of her dress and started lifting in slowly, revealing a dark purple underwear that matched her dress. Flynn knew that her bra will be in the same color. He already knew her enough to know that she was obsessive about little details like that. She continued to lift her dress over her stomach and chest and he smiled when he saw that he was right about her bra. She finally removed the dress and hung it, fighting the urge to start cleaning it from the little sand grains that were stuck on it. She looked Flynn in the eyes as she reached for her back and opened her bra.

He swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on her breasts as she took her time to remove the bra and then hung it next to the dress. Her underwear was saved for last. This time she left it on the floor behind her and walked to the Jacuzzi as Flynn kept watching her in silence, enjoying the view.

She put one leg in the water, feeling the warmth on her skin, and the other leg followed quickly. Flynn's hands held her waist as she straddled him and quickly put her hand on his member, underwater. He moaned when her hand started to moved up and down and she leaned forward to kiss him. Flynn felt like he never wanted her more than now, but it was the exact crazed feeling he had every time they were intimate. He moved his head back, breaking the kiss, and pulled her body down gently. Sharon looked him in the eyes as he slid his member inside her, causing her to exhale heavily. As she started grinding her crotch against his, he felt a relief for being inside her finally, after all of her teasing. He felt a strange desire to tell her how he felt about her right there and then, but he was scared to ruin the moment. He had no idea what her reaction would be like.

Deciding to remain quiet, Flynn put his hand on the back of Sharon's head and pulled it back gently. She didn't resist and kept her head tilted back even after he moved his hand to her neck, wetting it as he did, and started to kiss it, moving down with every kiss. The drops created little paths on her collarbone and chest and continued to move down slowly. His hand moved down with his mouth and started rubbing her breast as he put her nipple in his mouth and brushed it with his tongue.

Sharon whispered "oh, god," and looked at him again. She put her hands on his head and her movements became faster along with her moans. The water seemed to have accelerated the process, doubling the pleasure of every movement they were making, and she felt like she was almost there. Flynn knew she was about to come as she, as usual, repeated the word 'yes' in excitement. He looked up to see her face, and saw that her eyes were shut and her head was tilted back again as she kept on grinding him. He felt her body shaking under his palms as she came and he stopped breathing for a moment, joining her.

Sharon opened her eyes after a few seconds and looked at Flynn as her movements became smaller. Now it was his turn to lean his head back with eyes shut and arms spread to the sides, resting on the edges of the Jacuzzi. Her hands moved slowly down his body from the shoulders, until they reached his waist and then she moved aside and sat next to him in the water, leaning her head back on his arm.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24:**

Flynn woke up on Saturday morning and looked lazily to his left. Sharon was sleeping there, her face peaceful. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and remained lying for a moment. First thoughts dawned in his head as he started to regain focus and realized where he was. A glance at the clock, which was ticking quietly on the nightstand, told him that it was late morning. He turned on the side and placed one hand on Sharon's shoulder.

"Sharon… wake up," he said quietly, caressing her shoulder. Sharon moved a little but didn't open her eyes. "Sharon…" he tried again, this time shaking her shoulder gently.

"Andy..." She smiled, again without opening her eyes. Flynn thought he imagined it, but he thought he heard her mutter "I love you." His eyes widened in shock. He froze for a few minutes and watched her, but she still wasn't awake.

"Sharon!" he said now in his regular voice and put his hand on her forehead. This time she opened her eyes carefully.

"What?" she asked, confused. She wasn't fully awake yet.

"I should go soon," he said gently and watched her for a moment, but she didn't react. Eventually he got to his feet and walked to his clothes, which were lying on the dresser.

"Wait…" Sharon muttered and struggled to lift the upper half of her body so she can see him. "Do you have time for breakfast?"

Flynn looked at her baffled hair and felt like walking over to her and caressing it. "Sure," he smiled.

Forty-five minutes later, they were both fully awake in the kitchen. Flynn was sitting at the table since Sharon wouldn't let him help her, and occupied himself with his iPhone, occasionally looking at her. He just finished checking his e-mail when she came to the table and placed two loaded plates on it. Flynn grabbed her hand before she sat down and pulled her to him, causing her to sit in his lap with both legs on his left side. She smiled at him and leaned forward, giving him a long, slow kiss. Each of them wanted to tell the other how they felt, but it seemed like they always expressed their emotions in any way other than words. It was like there was a pink elephant in the room and they both refused to talk about it.

Flynn pulled his head back a little and stopped the kiss. "What did you mutter when I woke you up?" he asked and examined her reaction. He thought he'd heard her well, but he wanted her to answer, though he was pretty sure she wasn't awake when she said it.

"I wasn't aware that I muttered anything," she said, surprised.

"Oh…" his suspicion was confirmed. She was still sleeping. "What were you dreaming about?"

"I don't remember," Sharon chuckled. His questions seemed weird to her. She looked at him for a few seconds and then got up and moved to her own chair. Her iPhone vibrated and she glanced at it. On the screen was John Martin's name and she looked up quickly to see if Flynn saw it too. By the way he was looking at her, he did see it. He frowned and stared at her, waiting for her to do or say something. Sharon took the fork in her hand, ignoring the call.

"You can answer if you want to. Don't mind me," Flynn said, his eyes fixed on her. Sharon shifted in her chair uncomfortably.

"I've been avoiding him all week," she said, trying to keep her voice calm and steady.

"So what does he want?"

"I don't know. By now, he probably wants to kill me," she said sarcastically.

"Do you want to go on a second date with him?"

"Do you think I should?" she asked coldly, knowing that it was bothering him.

"Maybe you could do things you didn't get to do on the first date," he teased her, not sure where he wanted to get with that conversation.

"Do you want me to do things with him that we didn't get to do on our first date?" she didn't back down. Flynn finally looked away from her, frustrated. He grabbed his fork and stuck it randomly in the middle of the plate.

"I don't like him," he stated and took a bite.

Sharon scoffed. She kept quiet for a moment, and then said, "Me neither."

Flynn stared at her for a moment with a confused face, and then smiled. "I give up on my aspiration to ever understand women," he said lightly and Sharon smiled too.

"Really? You? I thought that you figured it all out on your adventures with Provenza and the young women you two like so much," her voice remained calm and nonchalant, but on the inside she felt a burning urge to hear him say that he wasn't interested in younger women, to make her feel secure.

"Is that a reproach?" he said, also keeping his cool.

"Gosh, no," Sharon replied. Her voice was indifferent but her eyes told a whole other story. Flynn couldn't understand how she could be so blind, and not realized how he felt for her. He knew that underneath her façade of confident, strong woman, there was insecurity and maybe even sadness. It made her look fragile to him. He wanted to hug her at that moment, but he just continued to eat, deep in thoughts.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25:**

Cat and Rusty came back from San Diego in the afternoon. As soon as they entered the apartment, Sharon saw that Cat was excited.

"I see the trip was good. What happened there?" Sharon asked, smiling at her daughter's sparkling eyes.

"We'll tell you in a minute, but did you know that the apartment down the hall here is for rent?!" Cat asked as she put aside the suitcase, in which she packed all of her things from the old apartment.

"No, I didn't!" Sharon said, joining her excitement.

"I'll contact them first thing on Monday morning," Cat hugged Sharon briefly and they joined Rusty, who was already in the living room. Cat sat tiredly in the armchair but Sharon announced that she was going to make tea, and walked to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, they were all sitting in the living room with hot cups in their hands, and Rusty was telling Sharon all about their trip. She listened carefully, and he was grateful for the attention she was paying him, although he didn't say it aloud. Cat waited quietly for him to finish before she spoke.

"By the way, I called Natalie earlier, remember her?" she asked Sharon.

"Your friend from high-school?"

"My _best_ friend from high-school. Guess what she does for a living," Cat smiled.

"I have no idea," Sharon said monotonically as always and Cat sighed. Her mother was never a fun guesser.

"She's an ADA!" she smiled again as Sharon's eyebrows arched slightly. "You're surprised because you never really liked her and didn't think she could become a lawyer. Right?"

"I didn't say that," Sharon said coldly, but Cat was right.

"You always thought she was a bad influence because she liked boys too much," Cat said and Rusty snorted. They both looked at him and he looked down at his cup to hide his smile. "Those were _your_ words, I remember well," Cat added, amused.

"I don't remember. It's my age," Sharon said sarcastically and Cat rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Anyway, we're meeting for lunch on Monday, and she wants you to come too," Cat knew what her mother's reaction was going to be but she said it anyway.

"I'm going to be very busy. Or not hungry," Sharon said coldly and sipped from her hot tea while Cat smiled again and Rusty tried not to laugh.

(***)

Cat walked out of the elevator and towards the murder room on Monday afternoon. She was accompanied by her friend, Natalie, who had to be in the building anyway, and insisted on saying hi to Sharon. She knew that she never liked her, but she always found Sharon's reaction to her amusing, so after lunch Cat reluctantly agreed to join her.

They entered the murder room and stopped at the entrance. The squad members were all there, discussing a case. Sharon's gaze was fixed on a paper she was holding. Nobody noticed them for a moment, until Provenza looked their way and arched his eyebrows.

"Captain, your lovely daughter is here. With a lovely friend," he said nicely without looking at Sharon, who looked up to see the two women. "Please, don't tell me she's also your daughter," Provenza said rather quietly and Sharon rolled her eyes at him as Cat and Natalie walked to her.

"Mrs. Raydor, it's so nice to see you again," Natalie smiled, trying not to laugh at Sharon's serious face.

"Yes, wonderful," Sharon said just as Tao called her from his desk to say she had a phone call. She picked up the phone near her quickly and Natalie looked at Provenza. Next to him was standing Flynn, who watched everything in silence, somewhat confused. Usually Sharon was nice to people, even if she didn't like them, and seeing the way she treated her daughter's friend baffled him.

"Hello," Natalie said and walked passed Provenza to shake Flynn's hand.

"Hi," he said hesitantly, shaking her hand, and she took her time to let go of his hand.

"I'm Natalie," she smiled.

"Andy," he said and Sharon saw him glancing at her. Her eyes were fixed on Natalie, who continued to talk flirtatiously with Flynn for a few minutes. Cat stood a few feet away and watched them all with her arms crossed on her chest in a rare similarity to her mother.

Natalie laughed at something he said and put her hand on his arm, just when Sharon finished the call and slammed the phone, startling them. They both looked at her right away and she said, "oops," coldly, without really meaning it, since she obviously did it on purpose.

"Natalie, it was great seeing you, but we have a lot of work here," she said with a little smile.

"Oh, okay, well…" Natalie pulled a calling card from her purse and handed it to Flynn. "Call me, anytime," she said in a sensual tone and waited for him to take the card from her hand. Flynn's eyes moved to Sharon for a second, as if he was asking for her help without words.

"Sure," he muttered eventually and took the card. Natalie smiled and walked away with Cat, who seemed to have realized a few things about her mother in the last few minutes.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26:**

"Sharon!" Flynn yelled from behind her and she turned around to see him walking towards her from the elevator. His voice echoed in the big parking floor for a few seconds until it died out. Sharon walked a few more steps and reached her car. She opened the door, put her purse on the seat and then turned around again to look at Flynn with her arms crossed on her chest, until he reached her.

"Why did you leave without saying goodbye?" he asked, a little short of breath.

"I didn't want to get in your way," she replied coldly.

"My way? What are you talking about?"

"Don't you have a call to make?" she asked monotonically and Flynn frowned. For a few seconds, he had no idea what she was referring to, until he remembered the calling card he had received and kept in his pocket.

"Oh, you mean that?" he roamed inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the card, holding it in front of her face. Sharon lowered her arms and rolled her eyes. He closed his fist on the card, crumpling it, and threw it to the ground. "She's not my type."

Sharon wanted to fling herself into his arms and kiss him, but instead she just tilted her head to the side and gave him a little smile. "I don't care, anyway," she said quietly.

"Right…" Flynn said sarcastically and she sent him a piercing look.

"Well, I have to go," she said, but before she could turn to her car, he stopped her.

"I need to tell you something," he said, and by his face Sharon could tell it wasn't a good thing. It looked as though he was in pain only from thinking about it.

"What is it?" she asked quietly and took a little step forward absent-mindedly.

"Did you know that we all go out together once a month on Friday?"

"The squad?"

"Yes."

"Why wasn't I ever invited?" she asked and Flynn stared at her for a moment in confusion. "I'm kidding," she added coldly and he let out air in relief. The truth was, they never even thought about inviting her because they were sure she wouldn't want to come. Besides, she wasn't as close to them as they all were to one another.

"Anyway, we're going out this Friday…" he said hesitantly.

"So, what's the problem?" she squinted, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Well… we usually go and have some drinks, and then…" he stopped for a moment before adding, "we go to a strip club."

Sharon's eyebrows arched for a second. "Tao and Sykes go to a strip club?" she asked quietly.

"No, Tao always calls it a night when we go, and Sykes… this would be her first time joining us, but I'm pretty sure she won't go either," he tried to sound funny but Sharon didn't smile.

"That's disgusting," she said slowly and he felt like her eyes were burning holes in his face.

"I don't wanna go. I was kinda hoping you'd come over," his tone changed to what Sharon would have considered to be tempting, if she wasn't upset with him. "The problem is, Provenza knows me too well. If I tell him I can't go he'll know that I'm… seeing someone, or whatever it is we're doing."

"So say you're sick, what's the big issue here?"

"The one time I said I was sick, he actually came to my apartment to check if I was lying."

"And you were, weren't you?" Sharon asked, but Flynn only looked at her without saying a word. "Never mind, don't answer that," she knew that he was probably with a woman and didn't want to hear about it.

They looked at one another for a moment in silence. Flynn wanted her to find a solution for his problem, but Sharon only wanted to get out of there. She hated caring for him so much. Her life was much easier when she was alone. Lonely, but easier. She looked him in the eyes and couldn't decide if he was telling the truth or not. Her insecurities surfaced as always, and she wondered if this whole story wasn't just an excuse so he can go with the squad members without her being mad at him.

"I have to go," she said again and turned to her car.

"Wait, Sharon…" Flynn said, his voice sounding frustrated.

"Do whatever you want, I don't care," she said as she opened the door with her back to him.

"You told me you loved me, you know," he said suddenly and Sharon froze. She turned slowly back to him and saw that he also looked surprised by his own words.

"What did you say?" she almost whispered. All of a sudden it was hard for her to breath. Flynn had a shocked expression on his face and he just stood there and looked at her. He couldn't believe he said it, and had no idea what to do next.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27:**

"Andy, what are you talking about?" Sharon asked when Flynn didn't answer. She took a step towards him and examined his face carefully.

"The other day… when I woke you up," he muttered, embarrassed. "Forget about it, you were sleeping," he tried to smile and look calm.

"I don't remember," she frowned and looked like she was trying hard to dig in her memory.

"Right, you didn't even mean it," Flynn chuckled. He wished he could just hide behind something until she left.

Sharon looked at him and scratched her head uncomfortably. "I think –"

"Don't worry about it. I'll just go on Friday and find some excuse to go home early," he said and started walking the other way after saying goodbye hastily.

"Andy..." she called after him but he didn't stop. "I think I did!" Flynn stopped walking and turned around. She swallowed hard as he came back to her, and felt her cheeks heating up.

"You did what?" he asked quietly, afraid that her answer won't be what he was expecting to hear.

Sharon looked down and adjusted her hair absent-mindedly. "Mean it… maybe," she added the last word, even though she didn't really doubt her feelings.

"Well… if _I_ ever to say it…" Flynn said and Sharon looked up quickly. "I'll probably mean it too," he shrugged, as if they were talking about something as light as the weather.

"Good," Sharon nodded in a businesslike manner. The tone of the conversation was so casual, that she had to ask herself if they were really indirectly saying I love you to one another. Flynn's long, silent gaze embarrassed her. She tried to find something to say, but her mind went blank, so she just watched him as he closed the gap between them and grabbed her by the waist. She put her hands on his chest and let him kiss her slowly, taking in every moment of it. There was something different about this kiss. Something honest. There were no things left unsaid between them.

Eventually, Sharon stopped the kiss, but pulled him to her right away for a hug. "This is bad," she said and they both chuckled bitterly and pulled away from each other.

"Oh, you only say it because we can get fired," Flynn said sarcastically and smiled. Sharon gave him a little smile but he saw she was troubled. "Look, it's gonna be okay. We've managed up until now."

"Keeping this secret from the entire world is not going to get easier," she said tiredly.

"So tell someone."

"What?"

"Yeah, why not? You can tell Rusty and your daughter."

Sharon seemed to be considering it for a moment, but then Flynn put his hand on her shoulder and she remembered she had to go.

"Rusty and Cat are waiting for me with dinner," she said in an apologizing tone.

"Okay. I'll try to think of something for Friday," he said and she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Men…" she muttered and then suddenly added, "hey, why don't you come for dinner?"

"Now?"

"Yes. Or some other day," she said quickly, trying to save herself from feeling embarrassed again.

A few minutes later they parted after agreeing to meet again in a short while, when Flynn comes for dinner. Sharon drove home somewhat nervous as she was about to take a big step in telling Rusty and Cat about them.

She entered the apartment and walked to the kitchen after hanging her purse, since there was no one in the living room. Rusty was getting plates out of a cabinet while Cat stirred something in a pot.

"Hey," Rusty smiled at her when he saw her, causing Cat to turn and greet her too.

"Something smells really good," Sharon sniffed and smiled.

"Yes, I've put an extra effort into cooking today, because we're celebrating two things," Cat said happily and came closer to Sharon, who arched her eyebrows in surprise and waited for her to continue. "First, I'm going to sign a lease for the apartment down the hall!"

"Really?!" Sharon asked joyfully and hugged Cat when she nodded to confirm. "That's great. I'm so relieved that you'll be close to me," she smiled and caressed Cat's shoulder. "What's the other thing we're celebrating?"

"Well, I know you're not going to like it much… but Dad told me to start looking for a place for my daycare center. He's going to buy it for me."

"Oh… that's… great too," Sharon forced herself to smile. She wanted Cat to succeed with her plans, but she also knew Richard couldn't be trusted and might disappoint her deeply.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28:**

"Thanks," Cat said and resumed her cooking. "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes." Rusty finished setting up the table, and asked Cat if she needed any help.

Twenty minutes later, the food was indeed ready, but Cat got a call from Richard and had to take it. Rusty and Sharon waited for her at the table. They had about ten minutes to talk until she joined them.

"All set. Shall we eat?" she said happily as she sat on the chair.

"Actually, I need to talk with the both of you before we do," Sharon said, feeling the nerves in her stomach.

"Shoot," Cat said and Sharon took a deep breath.

"Okay, well… you know how I stay late at work at least twice a week?" she started hesitantly.

"Yeah, but you're actually meeting with some guy," Rusty said casually and Sharon's eyes widened in shock. "That's what Cat says," he added quickly and Cat nodded.

"What made you say that?" Sharon asked, amazed by her daughter's perception.

"Sometimes you come back really… happy from those long days at work," she said and smiled.

"I DO work long days a lot," Sharon said defensively.

"Yes, and on those days you come back exhausted," Cat took a piece of bread and put it in her mouth. Sharon looked at her, lost for words. Rusty smiled; he found Sharon's reaction rather amusing. "So, when are we going to meet him?" Cat asked.

"He's coming for dinner. And you already know him."

"Oh, good for you, Mom. Flynn's hot," a mischievous spark appeared in Cat's eyes.

"What…" Sharon stuttered, baffled.

"I saw the way you looked at each other the other day."

Rusty looked at Sharon, who was staring at her daughter. "Flynn's great," he said quietly in attempt to make Sharon react, and the two women looked at him just as the doorbell rang.

"That's him," Sharon got on her feet. "Cat, I'm begging you…" she pointed at her daughter as a warning sign and walked to the door.

"Don't worry, I won't embarrass you. Much," she added the last word quietly, so that only Rusty could hear. He smiled at her as Sharon opened the door and Flynn entered the apartment. Cat and Rusty greeted him when he approached the table awkwardly.

"I'll get another plate," Rusty muttered and rushed to the kitchen, glad to avoid the awkward situation. Sharon showed Flynn to the seat next to her while Cat's eyes followed them.

"So, I'm guessing you're not going to call my friend, Natalie," she said, looking at Flynn, and Sharon arched her eyebrows as she also turned to look at him.

"No, I threw away her card," he answered and frowned at Sharon, trying to interpret the expression on her face. It wasn't anger.

"Actually, you are going to call her," she said to him.

"I am?"

"Yes, and ask her out."

"Wow, I didn't know you were the type to have an open relationship, Mom," Cat said, amused, just as Rusty came back with Flynn's plate. Sharon slapped the back of her daughter's hand softly and turned back to Flynn.

"That's what you're going to tell Provenza," she watched his face as it changed from a frown to an understanding smile.

"I'm confused. Rewind the movie," Cat said and watched them with interest.

"Let's eat," Sharon said slowly and smiled. Cat squinted at her but decided to drop the subject and they all started to fill their plates.

"By the way, Mom, I think Chris wants to drop by sometime soon," She said casually.

"Why?" it was now Sharon who squinted at her.

"He has a surprise for you," she answered and suppressed a chuckle.

"Oh, god," Sharon muttered and sighed.

"Who's Chris?" Flynn asked.

"My son."

"Is he going to sleep on the couch too?" Rusty asked, frustrated. He really liked having Cat around, but he missed the living room, which has become her bedroom.

"Oh, no," Cat answered and this time couldn't hide the chuckle. Sharon looked at her firmly, trying to read her. Her daughter obviously knew something about her son, and Sharon wanted to know what it was.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29:**

After dinner, Sharon and Flynn sat in the living room with Cat. Rusty took the laptop to his room so he can do his homework, and closed the door behind him.

"So, Lieutenant Flynn…" Cat started.

"Andy," he corrected her.

"So, _Andy,_ how did it start, your relationship?" she asked in a seemingly innocent voice. She knew that this question would embarrass them both, and especially her mother, but she had to ask, just for the fun of it.

"Uh…" he muttered, looking at Sharon for help, but she said nothing. He couldn't say the truth, about their relationship starting on the physical side. "We were friends at first," he said eventually, hoping that it would satisfy her and they can change the subject.

"I didn't know you had friends, Mom," Cat smiled at Sharon, who smiled coldly at her. "So, what, the two of you hung out as friends and it slowly turned into something romantic?"

"Yeah. Something like that," he said.

"Right…" Cat said slowly and they both knew she didn't believe him.

"Honey, when are you moving out?" Sharon asked with a sarcastic smile. She didn't sound angry, but Cat knew it was a hint for her to stop.

"Soon, Mother, soon," she said dramatically and Flynn smiled. He couldn't believe how different the two women were. Besides their eyes, which were exactly the same, they had nothing in common.

Both of Flynn and Sharon's iPhones rang at the same time. She grabbed hers from the table and Flynn pulled his out of his pocket. "It's work," he muttered.

"Mine too," Sharon said, and then looked at Cat and added, "be quiet." Her voice was somewhat threatening and Cat nodded silently as Sharon got up and walked to the kitchen so she can talk without Flynn being heard in the background.

(***)

"What happened here?" Sharon asked as she reached the yellow tape that enclosed the crime scene, and saw Sykes.

"A young male was shot in the head on the street. No witnesses so far."

Sharon looked around her, frowning. "Aren't we close to Buzz' house?"

"Yes, Captain," she heard a voice to her right and turned her head to see Buzz. "I know it's gonna sound weird, but… I think this is the guy who shot Adama."

"Wait, what?" Sharon asked, "I thought you didn't see his face."

"It all happened really fast, so I couldn't describe it at the time. But I'm pretty sure that's him. I've been dreaming about him a lot," he lowered his voice on the last sentence, as if he was ashamed of it.

"Okay," Sharon said gently and entered the crime scene under the yellow tape. Tao walked towards her and they met in the middle.

"Captain, we just found the victim's ID in the trash. His name was Andres Alves and he was 19," he showed her the ID and she nodded just as Provenza joined them.

"This _does_ look a lot like the hit on Adama," she said pensively. "In the middle of the street without leaving evidence of witnesses behind."

"Only there WAS a witness back then," Provenza said grumpily as always.

"Yes, but the killer probably knew that Buzz didn't see anything, or he would've killed him too," she said slowly.

"Maybe he ran away because he didn't know what to do with Buzz. He was only 19 and probably didn't have much experience," Tao said. "Judging by the look of it, the killer on _this_ murder seems much more mature," he pointed towards the body a few yards away and Sharon saw a gun next to it, on the ground. "The victim was shot with this gun, which, I'm assuming belonged to him. We probably won't find the killer's finger prints on it."

"Let's check the bullets and see if there's a match between this murder and Adama's," Sharon said and Tao nodded before going away.

"Captain, if this guy really is Adama's killer, I think we're looking at the lowest link of a long chain. This is just the tip of the iceberg," Provenza said quietly.

"I agree. We need to call agent Howard again," she said and saw Flynn arriving in his car. He waited a few minutes before departing so they arrive at different times.

"Oh, come on, Captain," Provenza sounded annoyed.

"Don't worry. This time I'll insist on taking part in the investigation. This story has to end," she thought about Richard and wondered if she was right about him having something to do with the cartel that Fritz told them about not too long ago, the one that links the three unsolved murders of the first victim, who remained anonymous, Adama and now this murder.

Provenza stared at the body for a moment as Sharon pondered Richard and the cartel. "If this really is Adama's killer… that's what I call poetic justice," he said quietly and Sharon nodded absent-mindedly.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30:**

"It's a match!" Tao said in excitement the second Sharon and Provenza entered the murder room after visiting the morgue. He walked towards them with a paper in his hand. "The victim's gun was used to kill both him and Adama." He handed her the paper with the ballistics results and she examined it.

"I'm not so sure the gun belonged to our victim. The killer was smart enough not to leave physical evidence and witnesses, but he carelessly left the gun behind?" Sharon said as she walked to the whiteboard and looked at it. There wasn't much information on the three murders they didn't solve. Adama's picture was hanging under the headline 'Victims' along with the pictures of the other two victims. She stalled for a moment, looking at it, but then turned to face the squad.

"So maybe Adama's killer offed our victim and left his gun behind on purpose," Sykes said and she Sharon nodded. "But why?" Sykes frowned in confusion. Provenza rolled his eyes impatiently and sat on his chair.

"To make it look like Adama's killer was dead, and get the FBI off his back," Sharon explained calmly as Flynn entered the room.

"Uh, Captain," he said hesitantly and everyone turned to look at him. "The victims' parents didn't even care when we notified them, but the girlfriend is in the conference room. She wanted to come and talked to us, which is pretty rare."

"They didn't care?" Sharon asked in disbelief.

"They're both junkies, so…"

"Surprise, surprise," Provenza muttered.

Five minutes later, Sharon and Sanchez were sitting in the conference room with Monique Smith, her eyes wet and her hands shaken.

"Ms. Smith, can you tell us when was the last time you saw Andres?" Sanchez asked gently, as if he feared she might fall apart.

"Last night. He was at my place until 9pm and then, that lowlife Charlie Hernandez came to pick him up and they left. He killed him, I know it. He'll kill me too for talking to you, but I don't care anymore," she wiped her eyes and crossed her arms on her chest.

"We will protect you, don't worry," Sharon said slowly in attempt to sound comforting. "Charlie Hernandez, you said? Does he have anything to do with a Lionel Hernandez?"

"Yeah, they're twin brothers. I know he was arrested a few weeks ago and released."

"And why do you think Charlie was the one who killed Andres?"

"I don't think, I _know_. Andres was in the same gang as Charlie, but Charlie was always jealous of him. Andres was much more respected than he'll ever be," Monique said angrily.

"Do you know this man?" Sharon handed her a picture of the first victim and Monique shook her head.

"I wasn't really involved in Andres' businesses," she muttered. Sharon and Sanchez exchanged looks. They both thought she was lying. Sanchez asked her to write down Charlie Hernandez' details, whatever she knew about him. She did it quickly and handed them back the pen and paper.

"Okay, thank you. Wait here, please," Sharon said and left the room, followed by Sanchez.

"Captain, I think we can get more out of her if we put her in a motel room with protective detail and make her feel more comfortable," he said quietly as they were standing outside the room.

"Okay, make arrangements for that, please," Sharon said. He nodded and left quickly, and she walked back to the murder room.

(***)

In the evening, just before she went home, Sharon stopped at the motel, where they held Monique Smith. The squad members took turns in accompanying her until one of them could get more information out of her. Sharon climbed the stairs quickly and saw an officer guarding the door.

"Good evening," she said and showed him her badge.

"Evening, Captain. Your witness is in here with Detective Sanchez," he said and pointed at the door to his left.

"Where's his partner?"

"In here with _my_ partner," he pointed at the door to his right, which was right beside the door to Monique's room.

"Thank you," she said and reached for the second door. Knowing that Sanchez' partner was Flynn, she preferred getting an update from him. She opened the door and the sound of laughter hit her before she even saw Flynn and a female officer sitting at a table, apparently having a very funny conversation. They looked at her and both got up quickly as she looked at them with her eyebrows arched in surprise.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31:**

"Captain," Flynn said, trying to keep his tone casual, "this is Sergeant Wright…"

"Great," Sharon said quickly and approached him. "Can I get an update on Ms. Smith?"

Wright looked at Flynn hesitantly, and then back at Sharon. "Excuse me," she muttered and rushed to the door.

"Nothing yet," Flynn said as the door closed behind Wright.

"Okay," Sharon said and turned towards the door, but he grabbed her arm and she had to turn back to him.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked without releasing her.

"Nothing. Can I have my arm back?"

"Are you… jealous?" he asked doubtfully. It was hard for him to believe, but there was no other explanation for her behavior.

"What? No."

"Is it so hard for you to trust me?" he examined her face, but it was blank as always.

"I didn't say anything," she pulled her arm out of his grip.

"You didn't have to," he scoffed and sat back down on the chair, looking somewhat desperate. Sharon looked at him for a moment, feeling guilty. She was giving him a hard time because of her own insecurities, and he didn't really do anything. "You can see what's going on in the other room from here," he muttered and pointed at the laptop on the table without looking at her. She walked towards the table, but instead of watching the computer screen, she came very close to Flynn and he looked up at her. "Look, I know I haven't said it clearly," he started, "but I really do…"

Sharon bent down and kissed his lips before he could complete the sentence. She knew how he felt about her, but it terrified her to talk about it. "Forget about it," she whispered before kissing him again. Her perfume filled his lungs with the sweet smell he liked so much. Her presence along with that smell always made good memories of them together flood his mind. After a few seconds she stood straight again and moved to the other chair so she can look at the screen comfortably.

"You're never gonna let me say it, right?" he shook his head. Her eyes moved from the screen to his face for a second and then returned to the screen. Flynn got up, moved his chair next to her and sat back down. Her smell surrounded him again, and for a moment he wished they were there alone.

"Stop staring at me," she muttered, still looking at the screen. Flynn smiled and kissed her cheek. A little smiled appeared on her lips for a second, but then she saw Sanchez getting out of the other room. "Move," she said quickly and pointed at the screen. Flynn looked at it and moved his chair right away. He placed it back across the table just as Sanchez entered the room.

"Captain, were you listening?" he asked, pointing at the laptop.

"Uh…" she stuttered, "no, I was just getting an update from Lieutenant Flynn."

"What update?" Sanchez asked, as nothing happened up until now.

Sharon remained quiet for a moment. There was no way of answering his question. "What's up?" she asked eventually, trying to move forward with the conversation.

"Smith just said she was there on the murder of our first victim, and heard Charlie Hernandez bragging about killing Adama. She was waiting in the car with Andres Alves on the first murder, so she saw everything."

"Did she give you any details on the John Doe?" Sharon asked as she stood up.

"No. She says she wants to enter the witness protection program before she tells us everything."

"Great," Flynn rolled his eyes, "now we _have_ to call the FBI."

"I was going to do it tomorrow anyway," Sharon said and Sanchez nodded. "Okay, Detective, thank you. You can go home and rest, you've done enough. Lieutenant Flynn will stay here until the end of your shift." Sanchez thanked her and said goodnight hastily before leaving the room. Sharon looked at Flynn with a mischievous smile and grabbed her purse, which was hanging on the chair's backrest. "Goodnight," she said and walked to the door.

"You're kidding," he said, annoyed. He expected her to stay with him, but she only smiled at him as she opened the door and left the room. She said goodbye to the officers guarding the rooms, and climbed down the flight of stairs that led to the dark parking lot. After crossing it, she stood by her car and roamed in her purse in search of the car keys. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm and turned her around aggressively, pinning her to the car. Before she knew what was happening, another hand closed on her throat and Richard's face was inches from hers.

"What are you doing?!" she barely had enough air to say it while trying to push his hands away.

"Drop this fucking case, or I will kill you," he said quietly, but his tone was frightening. "Did you hear me?"


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32:**

Sharon reached for her waist in search of her gun, while Richard continued to threaten her with his hand on her neck.

"This is way out of your league, I'm warning you. Don't think that the FBI can help you once _THEY_ decide to wipe you out…"

Sharon struggled to get the gun out of its holster, but her hand was shaking. The air was running out of her lungs and her head started spinning. She closed her eyes for a second and heard noises that she couldn't recognize while struggling to breathe, followed by a sudden relief as Richard's hands were removed from her throat. She coughed a few times, gasping for air, and opened her eyes as her senses started to function normally again.

Flynn was on top of Richard, punching him in the face and stomach after tackling him to the ground. Sharon looked at them in shock. She's never seen Flynn so angry at anyone, and the sight of him being so violent stunned her, although she could understand his will to pay Richard back for his beating. Some of the wounds inflicted in that attack were still visible on his skin.

"Andy, stop!" she tried to shout, but didn't have enough air in her lungs to raise her voice, although it was loud enough for him to hear. She coughed again and then said, "please!"

Flynn froze in mid-movement, just before punching Richard again, and glared at him for a second before getting up and turning to look at Sharon. "Are you alright?" he asked and reached for her shoulder, but she moved back in anger. Richard struggled to get up, holding his stomach.

"You just made a huge mistake," his voice was hoarse, indicating the pain he was in.

"Oh, yeah? Are you going to kill me?" Flynn spoke with contempt in his voice.

"Of course not," Richard said and started walking away, "not yet, anyway. There are far worse things than dying. I'll say hi from you to your friend John Martin."

"Oh, god," Sharon muttered and watched him disappear in the darkness.

"Sharon…"

"You just ruined our careers," she put her hand on her head and started to breathe heavily.

"Are you kidding me? He was chocking you!"

"He wouldn't have killed me!"

"Oh, okay, so I was supposed to stand on the side and hope he'd spare you?" he watched her, waiting for an answer, but she only leaned on the car and shut her eyes hard. "Do you want me to go look for him?"

"And do what? Kill him? Because that's the only way you can stop him. I know my husband."

"I'll think of something," he said and turned to follow Richard, but she grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"No, you won't," she glared at him and once again he felt like she could burn holes in his face just by looking at him like that.

"Look, my shift ends in two hours. Why don't I come over to your place and we talk about it?"

Sharon let go of his hand and opened the car door. "I'd rather have time to think it through on my own," she muttered and got inside, closing the door to her left. Flynn looked at her in despair as she started the car and backed out of the parking space. She cast him one last look and drove away, feeling a little guilty for treating him like that.

(***)

"Mom?" Cat was hunched over the couch as she tried to wake Sharon up, and moved the hair from her mother's face.

"What?" Sharon asked in a hoarse voice as she opened her eyes and lifted her head a little, looking around. The apartment was dimly lit and quiet.

"You fell asleep on the couch," Cat supported her as she sat up, and then sat next to her tiredly.

"Where have you been?" Sharon asked and yawned.

"Out celebrating the fact that I'm finally moving out of my mother's house," she said jokingly and Sharon smiled. "Are you okay?" Cat asked as she noticed the bitterness in her smile. They heard a knock on the door before Sharon could answer, and they both got on their feet quickly.

"If it's you father, I'm not here," Sharon said and almost ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"O… kay," Cat muttered as she walked to the door and opened it.

"Hello," Flynn said hesitantly when he saw her, not sure if he was doing the right thing by being there.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33:**

"Hey, come in," Cat smiled and moved to the side so he can pass. Flynn took a step over the threshold and looked around. "She thought it might be my dad so she went to her bedroom. She loves him so much," Cat said sarcastically, putting her hand over her heart.

"Oh… maybe I should go then."

"No, it's okay," she closed the door and started walking to the living room with Flynn following her.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea," he said when he reached the hallway and stopped to look at the bedroom door.

"Why? Did you two fight?" Cat sat on the couch and looked at him, but he only sighed. "I know my mother can be scary sometimes, but you have to be brave," she said mockingly and he smiled.

"Okay, you convinced me," he said and walked to the bedroom door.

"Good luck. Shout if you need rescuing."

Flynn gave Cat one last smile and knocked on the door. He heard Sharon saying "come in" and opened it hesitantly.

Sharon saw Flynn when the door opened and let out air in desperation. "I thought you were Cat," she said and crossed her arms on her chest as he closed the door behind him and walked towards her.

"Sharon, I'm sorry. Tell me how can I fix this," he said and reached for her shoulder just as she moved to her bed and sat down.

"I don't see how you can fix this. Forget about it," she ran her fingers through her hair, moving it from her face as she looked down. Flynn looked at her with a sad face, wondering what will happen to their relationship once everyone knows about them.

"Look, we both love our jobs…" he walked to the bed and sat next to her. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, but she kept quiet, listening to him. "But, honestly, if I had to retire now, it wouldn't be so bad if I do it with you."

Sharon finally looked at him. She examined his face for a moment and couldn't help but give him a little smile. "That's… sweet of you," she grabbed his hand, which rested on his thigh, and squeezed it gently.

"Yeah, I mean, we're both qualified for retirement, and I never planned to stay on the force until the day I die like Provenza. So… we better try and see the good in this situation."

Sharon arched her eyebrows in surprise. "I've never seen you being so positive."

Flynn smiled. "Usually I prefer sarcasm, but this time it didn't seem fit."

Sharon sighed and nodded. She leaned her head on his shoulder and kept quiet for a moment as her mind raced. "Maybe we can fight this," she said quietly and looked up at him again. "But we need to stop seeing each other for a while."

"If we stop seeing each other… it won't be for a while," he said, and she could hear in his voice that he didn't like what she was saying.

"You're probably right," she almost whispered it since she couldn't bring herself to speak normally without her voice breaking. Flynn looked so sad, dropping his gaze to the floor, that Sharon was almost tempted to take her words back.

"I don't like this," he muttered.

"I know, but it's inevitable. I don't want to lose my job," she said slowly and caressed his hand, which was still under hers.

"And you're willing to lie about our affair when they interrogate you?" Flynn frowned. He never thought she'd be breaking the rules and then lie about it.

"I know, it's horrible," she put her hand on her mouth and tried to fight back the tears. Flynn looked at her in silence. She shook her head for a moment and then looked at him with a sad smile.

"So… it's over. Just like that," he muttered, looking in her wet eyes, but she didn't answer. "I'm going to miss you."

Sharon leaned forward and kissed him. A tear fell down her cheek as she shut her eyes hard and tried to remember every second of this last kiss. She intended to make it a short goodbye kiss, but Flynn wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and all of her will power disappeared in a matter of seconds. Her arms moved to his shoulders on their own and caressed the back of his head. Suddenly, Flynn leaned forward, causing her to lie back on the bed with him on top of her.

"Wait…" she whispered when he started kissing her neck and his hand moved to her chest. "Cat and Rusty are here."

He stopped kissing her and looked in her eyes. "So you should be _really_ quiet," he said and resumed kissing her.

Sharon wanted to object, but she knew it was going to be their last time. She closed her eyes and decided to let Flynn do whatever he wanted. His hand moved up her leg, from the ankle to her thigh, and under her skirt. She opened her eyes and wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she was never able to be so straightforward with her emotions. She tried to speak, but instead of a word she let out a moan as his fingers quickly slid through the side of her panties and into her.


	34. Chapter 34

***This chapter was written in collaboration with Sixty Five Roses and is rated M.**

**Chapter 34: **

Sharon reached for her skirt and unzipped it while Flynn's fingers started to send waves of joy through her body.

"I wanna do something for you, so keep an open mind," he whispered in her ear, knowing how strict she could be. Before she could react or inquire about the nature of that 'something', he moved his hand out of her and then pulled her skirt down at once, throwing it to the floor behind him. Sharon reached for the buttons of his shirt and appreciated the fact that he left his jacket and tie somewhere else, probably in his car. She felt his hands on her thighs, traveling quickly upwards to her crotch and then back down with her panties between his fingers. Once they were out of the way, she wrapped her legs around his waist, but he gently freed himself and put her legs down on the bed. He obviously had something different in mind, but she had no clue to what it was and was quite anxious to find out.

Flynn brought his face close to hers and gently kissed her, but pulled away before she was able to recapture his mouth, leaving her craving for more. His lips traveled down her neck while his fingers quickly unbuttoned her shirt and parted its two sides, fully revealing her stomach and chest. She shivered pleasantly under his touch with her eyes shut and her mind wandering to a far away land, a happy place that only he could take her to. His lips created a trail on her body as he moved down and she felt her heart pounding in her chest under his hand, which was massaging it gently. Flynn could feel the excitement building up in her body through her skin and, he didn't know if it was her reaction to him or the fact that this was their last time, but it turned him on even more than he thought was possible. He could barely wait to hear her moans of pleasure. Gently, he pushed her thighs apart and descended his head between her legs, deliberately exhaling hard, so she could feel where he was.

Sharon's eyes opened wide in horror. She lifted her head quickly and saw where Flynn was. Her mouth opened with the intention of saying his name, to get him to stop, but at that exact moment his tongue met her swollen clitoris, and her head fell back on the bed with her mouth still open, this time in shock. Her breathing became short and fast from the excitment. She never felt anything quite like that. Her whole body seemed to have gone numb, except for that spot that was caressed over and over again by Flynn's tongue. No other sensation existed in the world, except for the one between her legs.

Sharon was not the type to scream too loud in bed, but it was impossible for her to contain this pleasure quietly. Almost hysterically, she reached for the first thing she could grab – a small decorative pillow – and stuck the edge of it in her mouth, whimpering into it as she climaxed, faster than she ever did.

Flynn felt her shaking and his tongue went even faster, the most he could. He kept moving it inside her until her body loosened up again, and she stayed still, breathing fast. He looked up and saw her shut eyes and the pillow in her hand, close to her face. His body rose again and he moved up along her torso, bringing his lips to her neck again. Sharon's arms reached for his back and stayed there.

"Oh, god, thank you," she whispered when she was finally able to speak. He looked at her and then gently kissed her jawline.

"Are you up for more?" he asked, his lips vibrating against her skin. She gathered all of her body strength, pushed him to the bed, and climbed on top of him.

"I think it's my turn now," she smiled mischievously. Flynn squinted, trying to decide whether she was serious or not. She took her time in unzipping his pants, leaving him in doubt, intrigued. He lifted his upper body a little and leaned on his elbows, so he could see what she was doing. Her hand slipped inside his underwear and pulled his erected member out. She looked him in the eyes with the tiniest smile on her lips before lowering her head to his crotch, but in mid-movement she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It's been a while since the last time she had done this. Richard was never forgiving or appreciating when it came to sex. In his eyes, it was one of her duties to pleasure him in any way he saw fit and she never got the chance to truly enjoy it. Throwing another gaze into Flynn's expecting eyes, she was able to erase that thought about Richard and his unyielding behavior, and gather the strength that she needed in order to pay Flynn back for what he had just done for her. She lowered her head some more, opened her mouth and closed it on the tip of his member. Flynn tilted his head back in pleasure and looked at the ceiling. His mind went blank; all he could think of was her mouth going up and down on him. He felt completely devoted to her. Right now, if she asked him to go to the moon for her, he'd definitely agree.

Sharon moved her tongue up the length of his member and then put it in her mouth again and sucked on it. She heard Flynn moaning quietly and knew that she was doing it right. Hearing Flynn's quiet and steady moans made pleasant shivers go down her spine and she accelerated the rhythm of her mouth's movements. Flynn fell from his elbows to his back and grabbed his head. She could feel that he was almost there, just moments away from reaching the peak of his pleasure, and she relished those moments. Before Flynn, it has never occurred to her that fellating someone could grant her the same sexual satisfaction that she was inflicting on him. She felt his body stiffening and slowly pulled her head back, concentrating her efforts on the top of his member. Flynn tried to hold it in as long as he could so he can have more time to enjoy the moment. Eventually he uttered her name softly before letting out a slow and deep moan from between his hands, which covered his face now, and she felt the viscous liquid bursting out of him.

Flynn stayed still for a moment, just like she did a few minutes ago, until the last wave of pleasure left his body. Sharon moved to his left and lied on her back with her arm touching his. After a few moments of silence, he lifted his upper body again and turned to look at her, leaning on his left elbow. Her eyes were shut and her face was sealed, but when he moved his finger on her cheek she smiled. Her eyes remained shut because she knew that once she opened them, he'd have to go.

Flynn was thinking about the same thing. He knew that he'd have to leave in a short while, but he didn't want their relationship to end just like that, with a physical act and nothing more. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "I love you."

Sharon shut her eyes harder and he looked at her with disappointment. He never thought she was the romantic type, but he was hoping to hear it back. After a few seconds in which she didn't move, he got up and started to button his shirt quickly, so he can get out of there as fast as he could.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35:**

Sharon opened her eyes a little and saw Flynn tucking his shirt inside his pants before zipping them. She grabbed the night-robe that was lying on the edge of her bed and put it on quickly while getting on her feet. Flynn was already at door with his hand on the handle, when she took his arm in her hand, and made him turn around. He frowned at her and she knew he was upset.

"Andy…" she started, but wasn't sure how to proceed. She hated that it was so hard for her.

"I should go. I'll see you at work tomorrow," he said coldly in a low voice, but she continued to hold him.

"Andy, please. You know how I feel about you. I…"

"Don't force yourself. Good night." He said calmly and turned back to the door.

His arm slipped out of Sharon's grip just as she opened her mouth and said, "I love you too." She half-whispered it, but he heard her well and turned back around quickly. She didn't look him in the eyes at first, but then her gaze moved up hesitantly and their eyes met.

"God, I hate this," he muttered and bent down to kiss her for the last time. His hands grabbed her waist at first, and then moved to her back and brought her body closer to his. He was sure that she could feel his heart, as it was beating so forcefully in his chest.

Sharon brought her hands to his cheeks and closed her eyes hard, trying not to cry again. After a few moments, he stopped the kiss reluctantly and leaned his forehead against hers for a split second, before pulling back and looking at her.

"Good luck with… everything," he said and she nodded sadly. "Don't hesitate if you need me for anything."

"I won't," her voice was shaky and she cleared her throat to cover it up.

"Okay, well… bye," he said when he couldn't find anything else to say, sounding like a little, disappointed child.

"See you tomorrow," she smiled, trying to stifle a cry. Flynn opened the door and stepped out of the room without looking back. Sharon closed the door quickly and the tears started to trickle down her cheeks uncontrollably. She leaned against the door for a moment with her hand on her mouth in attempt to stop the crying, but it didn't work, so she walked back to her bed and lied down, sobbing into the blanket.

A few minutes later, Flynn was already out on the street, walking to his car. He had no idea that two men were watching him from inside a dark BMW.

"Hernandez, this is the guy you need to whack," Richard said to the man sitting next to him in the passenger seat and pointed at Flynn.

Charlie Hernandez squinted at the distant figure but he couldn't see him well. "No problem," he said hesitantly. "When do you want me to do it?"

"I thought about letting him live a little longer and suffer from being fired, but, no... Do it tomorrow. But I want you to wait and do it when he's with my wife. You've already seen what she looks like earlier. You just follow him or her when they leave work, and I'll make sure they meet somewhere public," he watched Flynn getting into his car and driving away. "This is very important, Hernandez. Don't screw this up."

"And you, don't forget to promote me like you promised," Hernandez said with a serious face.

"If everything goes the way I want it to, sure. If not - you're dead," Richard said calmly and started the car.

"What did he do to piss you off so much?" Hernandez chuckled, even though he was terrified. He knew that sending someone to kill him wouldn't be a problem at all for Richard.

"I've got my reason, and it's none of your business," Richard said coldly and drove away.

(***)

Sharon walked to the murder room the next morning and found the entire squad there, already working. The thing she liked most about them, besides being really good at what they do, was how diligent they all were.

"Good morning," she said loud enough for all of them to hear. They all greeted her back, except for Flynn, who didn't even look at her. He sat at his desk and stared blankly at a paper he was holding. Sharon looked at him for a moment with a sealed face, then approached Provenza and leaned forward so she can talk to him without the rest of the squad hearing.

"Can I help you?" he asked grumpily before she could talk.

"Um… what's wrong with Lieutenant Flynn?" she asked quietly.

Provenza looked across the room at Flynn, and then back at Sharon. "I don't know. He's been like that from the moment he set foot in here."

"Maybe he's not feeling well?" she looked at Flynn when she said it, but then her eyes moved back to Provenza, since he didn't answer. She saw he was looking at her impatiently and returned him a frown.

"He's just fine. I know my partner. It's probably a problem with a lady," Sharon stood straight the second he said it, and tried to look nonchalant. "Which, I have no knowledge about, and it's annoying as hell," he muttered.

"Well, if it's nothing serious, then… thank you," she was about to go to her office but Provenza spoke again.

"You never cared about any of our personal lives. What's changed?" he looked at her, intrigued. Sharon swallowed hard and tried to find something to say back, but his question caught her off guard.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36:**

"Hello, everyone," Sharon heard a voice behind her and turned around.

"Agent Howard, thank you for coming," she gave him a little smile and he nodded.

"This is Agent Blackburn," he introduced the man who came with him.

"Ah, yes," Provenza got up and stood next to Sharon. "I remember you."

"That's right. We worked on a case together several years ago," Blackburn said uncomfortably. "I hope this time we can work better together."

"I hope this time you won't stand between us and finding a murderer," Provenza said irritably.

"Okay. Let's go into my office," Sharon said quickly, trying to prevent an argument between her squad and the FBI. She started walking and the two agents followed her. Flynn glanced at her as she passed by his desk but she didn't notice.

They entered the office and Fritz closed the door behind him and sat across the table from Sharon, next to Blackburn.

"Captain Raydor," Blackburn started, "are you married?"

Sharon froze for a second. "Excuse me?"

"Are you?"

"Separated. Why?"

"Recently?"

"Two decades ago. Why?" she asked again, emphasizing the last word. Those questions gave her a bad feeling.

"How close are you with your husband?"

"Okay, what is this?" she asked, glaring at the men in front of her. Fritz shifted in his chair uncomfortably but didn't talk.

"Just answer the question, please," Blackburn said coldly.

Sharon hesitated for a moment, but then decided to play along. "I can't say we're… close."

Blackburn nodded and pulled a brown envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket. He turned it upside down over the table and a few pictures fell from it. Sharon watched him silently as he slid the pictures towards her.

"We've been tailing him since his first day in LA, based on information we got from a source," he said and waited for Sharon to finish looking at all the pictures.

"Who are the three men with him?" she asked and looked up at him.

"The heads of the Cartel we're investigating."

Sharon's eyes widened in horror for a second, but she immediately regained her composure. "So he's not just their lawyer, he's one of them?"

"Yes. He was the last one to join, a few months ago. I guess they wanted an attorney on their side. You didn't know?" Blackburn looked at her, frowning. He was clearly suspecting her.

"Okay, I think we've established that Captain Raydor is not involved in her husband's business," Fritz said, somewhat irritated, as the conversation with his wife from this morning popped in his mind, and he could almost hear her again, asking him to do whatever he can to help Sharon.

"We know you've talked to him on several occasions. We've got pictures to prove it," Blackburn insisted.

"Yes, he either insulted or threatened me during those conversations. Or both," Sharon said serenely and Blackburn cleared his throat, embarrassed.

"Threatened you? Why?"

"That's private. Family matters."

"Fine, well, if you're not close to him, you wouldn't have a problem with wearing a wire and getting him to talk, right?" he asked, and Sharon could hear he was irritated. She immediately thought about Flynn, and how his name would surely come up in a conversation with Richard.

"Regardless of the fact that he'll never tell me anything, no, I am not going to do that," she said slowly in her monotonic voice.

"You will have back up…"

"I said, no."

Fritz looked with interest from Sharon to Blackburn, back and forth, as if he was watching a tennis match.

"Are you unwilling to cooperate?" Blackburn moved to the edge of his seat and his ears turned red in anger.

"Wait, both of you," Fritz said loudly, before a war broke out. "If Captain Raydor refuses to wear a wire, you can't make her. But, maybe, she can talk to Richard and see what she can find out? Be like another source of ours," he looked at her, waiting for a response. Sharon looked at him while he was speaking, but then turned her gaze to Blackburn and squinted.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37:**

"It's useless," Sharon said slowly.

"Why? Because you don't want to snitch on your husband?" Blackburn asked in anger.

"No, because I'm a _detective_, I work for the _police_. And we don't like each other," her voice was slow and clear, as if she was explaining it to a kid, and it only irritated him more. "But… I'm willing to try," she added eventually, after seeing the redness from his ears spreading to his cheeks.

"Oh," he looked at Fritz, surprised, and then back at Sharon. "Good. So… anything you find out… contact Agent Howard about it." Blackburn got on his feet and looked at the two before saying goodbye hastily and leaving the office.

Fritz looked at Sharon in silence for a moment and then chuckled. "You almost destroyed him with your serenity," he said, and Sharon half-smiled. She looked through the glass walls to see Blackburn leaving the murder room, but instead her eyes fell on Flynn, who was still looking sad at his desk. Fritz followed her gaze and looked at Flynn too.

"Is he okay?" he asked, causing Sharon to look away quickly.

"I think he's not feeling well," she said coldly.

"Oh…" Fritz remained quiet again for a moment, and then spoke again. "You know, Brenda has asked me about you."

Sharon arched her eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, she never forgot how you helped her during the trial. I mean, at first it was hard for her to hear that you replaced her, but I think she kinda misses her friend," Fritz said.

"Who's that?" Sharon frowned and Fritz chuckled.

"You," he said and got up, "but don't ever tell her I said that, or she'll kill me."

Sharon got on her feet too and walked around the desk to accompany him out. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Good. Call me if you have information," he said and they walked back into the murder room.

"I will, but don't hold your breath," she said and at that exact moment Richard entered the room and stood in the doorway. Fritz and Sharon exchanged meaningful looks before he turned to the hallway and left. She walked towards Richard quickly, trying to prevent him from going any further into the murder room, where the whole squad was. Flynn tried to see what they were doing without the rest of the squad noticing his interest.

"What are you doing here?" Sharon whispered when she was close enough to Richard, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on her.

"I need to talk to you," he whispered back and it seemed odd to her, as he was never considerate or cooperative.

"Fine, let's go over there," she pointed at the elevators and started walking towards them.

"Look, I came to your workplace so you can see I come in peace," Richard said when Sharon stopped walking at the end of the hallway, between the two elevators, and turned back to him.

"Peace?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yes. I went over the line and I want to make things right with you and your boyfriend."

Sharon sighed. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Fine, whatever. I'm sure the three of us can reach an agreement. Apologize to one another and move on."

"Really?" she asked and he could hear in her voice she didn't believe him.

"Let me buy you two coffee after work and we'll discuss it. Please?" he begged when the doubt didn't disappear from her face.

"So you haven't spoken to John Martin yet?"

"No, of course not."

"Okay. I'm not sure Andy will agree to this but I'll ask him."

"Do your best to convince him. I'm tired of all the fighting," he said and pushed the button to call the elevator.

"Since when?" she scoffed.

"We're going to be grandparents soon. We have to make peace," the doors open and he stepped inside. "I'll look for a nice place to have that coffee and text you the address later. Bye!" the doors closed and for a few seconds Sharon continued to stare at the spot where his face was a moment ago. A voice to her right startled her and she turned quickly.

"Everything alright?" Flynn asked, standing on the doorstep with his arms crossed on his chest.

"Yes. Richard wants to make peace with us. Or so he says. He said he'll buy us coffee after work."

"And you believe him?"

"Not really. But I do want to see where this is going, so I plan to meet him. You don't have to come, though."

"There's no way I'm letting you go alone to meet this psycho. I'll come," he said and looked deep in her eyes without saying a word, feeling the need to embrace her, but knowing it was impossible.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38:**

Sharon got in her car in the evening and headed to the coffee shop that Richard had picked for them. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't get rid of the bad feeling she had about the whole thing. Knowing Richard, she was certain that he had an agenda, and was determined to figure out what it was.

Her iPhone rang, disrupting the silence and startling her.

"Captain Raydor, this is Captain John Martin," she heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"Oh, John, I've been meaning to call you…"

"I need to speak with you. It's very urgent," he interrupted her, his voice sounding cold and distant, formal.

"Is tomorrow fine?" she tried to sound calm, although fear spread in her stomach, causing her to feel sick.

"Actually, I prefer doing it today."

"Today?"

"Right now."

"Um… okay… I'm heading to a meeting but I can reschedule it and meet you back at the office," she said hesitantly.

"No, I'm already in my car. I wasn't going to call today, but eventually I decided to do it. Tell me where you are heading and I'll go there."

Sharon stopped at a red light and shut her eyes hard for a second. She gave Martin the address before they hung up, and she immediately called Flynn, who left work five minutes after her so they won't be seeing leaving together.

"Hey, are you there yet? I'm almost there," he said when he picked up.

"No, go home. John Martin just called; he wants to talk to me right now. I'm meeting him there."

"Oh… well, I'll come too. You shouldn't take the fall for this –"

"No, we don't know what he's going to say. Maybe I can get us out of this. If he knows about us, your presence there will only make things worse."

A few minutes later, Sharon parked her car in a nearby parking lot and crossed the street. The coffee shop was right in front of her, and she looked inside through the big windows to see if Martin was already there.

"Captain Raydor!" someone called her name to her right and she saw Martin coming her way.

"Hello, John. How are you?" she tried to sound friendly and gave him a little smile, but he kept a straight face.

"I think you already know why we're here," he said coldly.

"Enlighten me," she responded with the same cold tone. "Shall we go inside?"

"No, this won't take more than a minute," he roamed in his pocket and pulled out four pictures. "I'm aware of your affair with Lieutenant Andrew Flynn," he handed her the pictures and she examined them. Two were from the parking floor of their workplace, and two were from outside her apartment. In all pictures she was seen kissing or hugging Flynn.

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked quietly, trying not to show him how scared she was.

"Frankly, I think you made a poor choice when you preferred him over me… but the heart wants what the heart wants," he waited for her to respond but her face remained sealed and she didn't say a word. "It's all very nice… when you don't break the rules. I'm going to have to report this to the right people in IA."

"Isn't there another way to resolve this?"

"Not really. There are consequences for one's actions. There's no way around it."

Sharon nodded and smiled. She wasn't going to let him enjoy her suffering. "I understand," she said quietly, clutching the pictures in her hand. "When did Richard tell you about it?"

Martin arched his eyebrows for a moment as she took him by surprise with the question. He wasn't planning on mentioning his source. "I don't know, about an hour ago maybe."

"Hey, Lieutenant!" someone yelled and both Sharon and Martin turned their heads towards the sound. From that point on, everything seemed to have happened in slow motion. Two men dressed in black with baseball caps stood a few yards away, behind Martin. One of them was pointing a gun towards him and the other also had a gun in his hand, but he wasn't pointing it at anything.

Sharon moved from behind Martin and intended to show them her badge, but before she could do it, the man holding the gun squeezed the trigger all the way, and a bullet flew out of it, entering Martin's chest in less than a second.

"Oh, my god!" Sharon yelled as he fell back, and knew that she was next. She tried to see the shooter's face, in case she survives it, but the baseball cap shaded it and she could barely see anything but his chin, which wasn't very helpful in identifying suspects.

"Please, don't shoot!" she begged with her hands up and both men stood still for a moment. She couldn't see their eyes, but she knew they were looking at her by the position of their heads. The images of all the people she loved appeared in her mind and she hoped to see them again.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39:**

The shooter lowered his gun, and a second later the two men turned around and started running in the opposite direction. Sharon bent down to check on Martin while customers from the coffee shop ran outside to see what's going on. She called his name but there was no reaction, and her fingers against his neck couldn't feel his pulse.

"Oh, god," she muttered in a shaky voice and tears started to trickle down her cheeks uncontrollably.

John Martin was lying still on the sidewalk in a pool of blood, which was pouring quickly from his chest like a macabre waterfall. Sharon put her hand on his wound in attempt to stop the flow, and thought that Martin looked peaceful with his head tilted to the side and eyes shut, as if he was only sleeping.

Sharon heard people talking around her but couldn't make out the words. All the voices sounded vague and distant. She had no idea how much time she was sitting on her knees next to Martin before she felt hands on her shoulders pulling her to a standing position and turning her around. A paramedic examined her face while asking if she was hurt and she shook her head.

"What's in your hand?" he asked and tried to take the pictures from her but she wouldn't let go.

"Hey, I know her. This is Captain Raydor from the LAPD's Major Crimes unit," a patrol officer said to her left and Sharon remembered seeing him in the building several times. "I'll call the her squad, this case will be theirs anyway," he said and walked a few steps to use his radio away from the commotion.

"Well, I'm taking her to the hospital. She's in shock. They can see her there," the paramedic said and Sharon felt his hands on her shoulders again, leading her to the ambulance.

(***)

Sharon sat on the hospital bed, after refusing to lie down, even though the doctor repeatedly asked her to do so. Eventually he gave up and left the room to prepare the discharge papers, seeing that she was just a little shaken up, but nothing more. She was staring at the floor, recalling the shooting over and over again with tears streaming down her cheeks, when the door swung open quickly and she hurried to wipe the tears with her hands and look up.

Provenza and Flynn entered the room with serious faces and she swallowed hard, trying not to cry.

"Captain, Are you okay? We were just at the crime scene," Provenza asked carefully. They stood in the middle of the room with hesitant looks on their faces, waiting eagerly for her to talk, as if they needed to hear her voice in order to know she was okay.

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine. Waiting to get out of here," she said and her voice sounded hoarse.

"Should I go and check on it?" Flynn asked, knowing that Provenza wouldn't want to be left alone with her in the state she was in. He wasn't very good in situations like that, which required a lot of sensitivity.

"No, no, I'll go," Provenza said and walked quickly to the door so that Flynn won't have time to argue. He didn't know that Flynn had no intention to do so.

Flynn waited for the door to close behind Provenza and then closed the gap between himself and Sharon in a few quick steps, wrapping her in his arms. He felt her shaking under him and knew she was crying. Her hands gripped his shirt hard and she felt a relaxing sensation spreading inside her, comfort from the warmth of his body.

"What the hell happened?" he asked gently and waited until she calmed down and pulled away. She looked up slowly, her eyes red from crying. He put his hand on her shoulder and waited for an answer.

"He gave me those pictures," she pointed at the nightstand. Flynn took the pictures in his hand and examined them. "And he said he was going to report us… a second later these two men came out of nowhere and one of them shot him."

"Oh, wow… but who would want to kill him?" he asked and rubbed her arm gently.

"I'm not sure… they yelled the words 'hey, Lieutenant' before shooting."

"So they knew who he was. Someone sent them."

"But he's a Captain."

"Okay, so they made a mistake."

"No. If someone sent them, they probably learned as many details about him as possible so they don't make any mistakes. I don't think they got wrong information," her voice slowly returned to its usual sound as she spoke.

"So, what are you saying?" he frowned.

"I'm saying… you're a Lieutenant," she said gently and saw him frowning even more.

"So?"

"Andy! _You_ were supposed to meet me there!"

"This is ridiculous," he turned around and took a few steps away from her.

"I don't think so. And I'm going to figure this out the moment I get out of here. I'll go to Richard's house," she said and watched Flynn as he looked at her in disbelief.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40:**

"Are you crazy?!" Flynn said, trying not to raise his voice.

"He's not going to hurt me," Sharon said, her voice sounding cold and calculated.

"Right, like he wasn't hurting you the other night?" Flynn said angrily, and just when he finished the sentence, the door swung open again and Provenza came back to the room. He saw Flynn's angry face and frowned.

"Uh… your papers are ready, Captain," he said hesitantly. "Something wrong?"

"No," Sharon said and got on her feet quickly. She was amazed by her own reaction to Flynn's presence. It seemed to have brought her back to life from the shock she was in. She pushed that thought away as she approached the door, and said, "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Captain…" Flynn said and she turned to look at him just before exiting the room. "Do you need a ride home?" he was hoping she'd change her mind.

"No, thanks," Sharon said hastily, and a second later she was gone.

Provenza scoffed as Flynn approached him on his way out of the room. "What the hell was that? When we arrived she was a wreck, and two minutes later she's skipping out of here?"

"Strange woman. Let's go, we have to start early tomorrow on our newest murder case."

"Yeah, a dead cop. Never easy," Provenza said sadly and they left.

(***)

Sharon walked nervously along the fifth floor corridor of a luxurious apartment building. Her eyes were fixed on the door to Richard's apartment, which was a few yards away, by the very end of the corridor. The sound of her heels was muffled by the carpeted floor as she approached the door. She was about to put her hand on the doorknob when she realized it wasn't closed all the way, and an unpleasant feeling spread in her stomach.

Before she could think of what she was doing, she pulled her gun out of her purse and pushed the door open with her elbow. The apartment was barely lit, and Sharon could hear the sounds of the street five floors below her, since her surroundings were completely silent. She walked slowly to the kitchen, which was the only room with the lights on. There was no one there, and nothing seemed unusual, so she continued to walk carefully to the living room. Her iPhone vibrated in her pocket and she startled, feeling her heart beating frantically in her chest. Suddenly, she wondered if she should have listened to Flynn. She wished to be in his safe car on her way home right now, instead of being in this big, creepy apartment.

The light from the kitchen barely reached the living room, and it was almost completely dark. Sharon's foot bumped into something as she couldn't see much, and she heard someone moaning faintly.

"Oh, god," she whispered nervously and bent down. "Richard? Where's the damn light?" she asked, but there was no answer. She squinted as she looked around, trying to find a lamp. "There," light came on when she found the switch and she turned back to the source of the sound, only to see Richard lying on the floor next to the couch, his white buttoned shirt smeared with blood.

"Oh, my… what happened?" she asked as she sat on her knees next to him and immediately remembered doing it not so long ago, next to John Martin's body. Richard opened his eyes slowly. His face was pale and Sharon was pretty sure his hands would feel cold if she touched them.

"He… shot me," Richard said quietly, as every word required a lot of physical effort.

"Who did?"

"Ch… Charlie Her…" he coughed for a second and didn't complete the name.

"Charlie Hernandez?" Sharon asked and he nodded just a little.

"Where's… Ambulance?"

"Richard, I need to know if you've got more pictures of me with Flynn," she said coldly. In her head, a little voice was yelling something about her doing a bad thing, but she didn't pay it much attention.

"Help…"

"Not until you answer me."

Richard's face twisted in pain. "My… pocket. Bitch," he said in anger, letting out a lot of air in the effort of speaking, and Sharon leaned forward and inserted her hand in every pocket of his jacket until her fingers touched something and she pulled it out. The same four pictures that Martin showed her earlier were once again in her hand. She sighed and threw them inside her purse carelessly, then pulled her iPhone out of her pocket. On the screen was written Flynn's name as a missed call.

"Are there anymore copies? Or other pictures of us?" she asked before she made the call.

"No... I swear," he said and she nodded. "I die… You won't…" Richard coughed again, "get my… money."

"I don't want any of your dirty money," she said monotonically as she dialed 911.

"The kids… either," he said and struggled to breathe as suddenly he could barely feel the air reaching his lungs.

"You promised Cat you'd help her," Sharon said in disbelief and Richard's lips curled into a little smile.

"911, what's your emergency?" Sharon heard a voice on the other end of the line but she was frozen there, on the floor, Richard's words echoing in her head. A thought crossed her mind and she wondered if she should hang up and let him die right now.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41:**

"Hello?" Sharon heard the woman's voice again.

"Yes, this is Captain Raydor from the LAPD," she cleared her throat and continued to talk.

Richard shut his eyes and listened to her giving his address and answering some quick questions before ending the call.

"Richard," she called him and he opened his eyes slowly. "Lieutenant Flynn… you sent those gangbangers to kill him, didn't you?" her voice was low, but steady.

"Tell me he's… dead," Richard tried to laugh but could barely smile. Sharon frowned and shook her head in disbelief.

"No, he's not. But John Martin is, so he's joined the long list of people that you and your cartel got killed. God, what happened to the Richard I knew in college?" Richard could hear the pain in her voice and smiled again.

"He died… long time ago," he whispered and shut his eyes again. His head fell to the side and Sharon stared at him for a moment.

"You're going to die for the second time, then," she muttered and got on her feet quickly. A look around the room revealed two more lamps, and Sharon pulled out of her purse two tissues, one for each hand, before she hurried to turn the lights on and open drawers and cabinet doors in search for anything else that might reveal her affair with Flynn. A pile of documents, which seemed to be related to a business of Richard's, lied on the coffee table. Sharon looked at it but left it there to be found later, during the crime scene investigation. She couldn't find anything about her affair with Flynn, but when she opened the last drawer she saw her face looking back at her from a picture, which rested on dozens of others.

"What the…" she muttered as she went over them carefully. Richard had her followed more times than she thought. Flynn wasn't in any of the pictures, so Sharon put them back in the drawer and closed it, just as she heard voices from outside the apartment, and knew that the paramedics have finally arrived.

(***)

"Mom! Where have you been?!" Cat asked when Sharon entered the apartment early in the morning, and both Cat and Rusty rushed to the door to see if she was alright.

"At work. I texted you about it," Sharon said tiredly as she put down her purse and started walking to the kitchen.

"Yeah, your text said 'can't talk, very busy' and then you didn't answer our calls for the rest of the night," Cat said and Rusty nodded, both following her.

"Don't tell me you two stayed up all night."

"We slept very little. We were worried. You never ignore our calls," Rusty said quietly and Sharon stared at him for a moment with an apologizing look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry; I didn't even check my phone all night."

"What happened? Something serious?" Cat asked and Sharon nodded slowly. She wanted to go straight to bed and sleep for the next 24 hours, but she had so much to do, including telling her daughter something terrible.

"Sit down," she said, looking at Cat.

"What? Why?"

"Catherine… sit down," Sharon said again in a very serious manner, and Cat sat quickly at the table.

"I'll be in my room," Rusty muttered and rushed to the hallway, glad to be avoiding an unpleasant situation.

"Mom, what's going on? You're scaring me."

"Honey… it's your father. He…" Sharon cleared her throat and tried to pick the right words.

"Oh, my god… is he dead?" Cat asked quietly.

Sharon swallowed hard and nodded. It wasn't the first time she notified a family, but she never thought she'd have to do a notification inside her own home.

"How?" Cat asked.

Sharon shook her head. "I'm not really allowed to talk about it."

"You can't even tell me how he died? How's that possible?"

"He… he was shot in his apartment."

"What?!" Cat got on her feet and covered her mouth with her hands for a moment. "Who did it?"

Sharon got up too and put her hand on Cat's shoulder. "We don't know yet, we're investigating it."

"It wasn't just a random murder during burglary or something, right? I knew there was something off about him. Dammit."

"What do you mean?" Sharon frowned as she looked at her daughter and wondered if she was holding back something about her father's criminal affairs.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42:**

"Nothing specific. Just him always moving out of hearing range every time he got a call, or the fact that he never talked about his job. Not even small details. I don't know, Mom," Cat said sadly and Sharon hugged her. "I don't even know who my father was."

"Your father…" Sharon started, but she wasn't sure what to say. Most of her memories from Richard weren't good. "He was a good man when I met him."

"So what happened to him?"

"I don't really know. He never told me much. Maybe he was blinded by money and power," Sharon caressed her daughter's back gently and Cat nodded.

"When's the funeral?"

"Um, as soon as they're done with… him at the… morgue," Sharon said carefully.

"You can say body, Mom, I'm not five," Cat said and Sharon smiled bitterly. "Oh, Chris! We have to tell him!"

"I called him before I left work," Sharon said quietly. "He was planning on making his visit next month, but he'll have to come sooner, obviously."

Cat nodded again and yawned. "I'm going to sleep a little. You should do the same."

"I wish I could, but I have to go back to work," Sharon said as Cat walked to the door. "Oh, do you still need help in organizing your apartment?"

"No, you're busy… and I don't have much left," she put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door. "Good night… or good morning."

The door closed behind her and Sharon hurried to take a shower and have a quick breakfast before she drove back to work. When she entered the murder room, only Tao was there, sitting at his desk, concentrated on his computer screen. He looked at her when he heard her footsteps.

"Captain, ballistics just confirmed that the gun used to kill Richard was also used on Martin. They'll send the official report soon," he said quickly.

"Well, we have Richard's deathbed testimony against Hernandez," Sharon shook her head. "We have to get the one of the brothers to confess."

"The rest of the squad went to pick them up a while ago. They should be back any minute now."

"We're back," Sharon heard a voice behind her and turned around to see Provenza and Flynn walking towards her. "Sanchez and Sykes are with the suspects in the interview rooms," Provenza said tiredly.

"Good. Let's get started," Sharon said and walked toward the interview rooms, followed by her three Lieutenants.

Provenza and Flynn went to the electronics room, to watch the interview from there, while Tao entered interview room 1 with Sharon. They sat across the table from Lionel Hernandez and stared at him in silence for a moment.

"I ain't talking. You're wasting your time," Lionel said and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Yes, I remember the last time you were in this room. Didn't say a word the whole time, very impressive," Sharon said in her usual steady, calm voice, which didn't give away any sentiment. "But this time it's different, because we also have your brother."

"So? He ain't talking either."

"Do you really believe that he won't talk to save his own skin?" Sharon asked slowly, and Lionel nodded hesitantly. "Well, then, how do I know that you were the one who shot Richard Raydor a few hours ago?" she watched him as he frowned and shifted in his chair.

"Charlie told you that?"

"Not only that. He described the whole thing, and John Martin's murder also."

"Who's that?"

"The man that you shot just before you killed Richard," she said coldly.

"I didn't shoot nobody," Lionel said quietly and Sharon waited for him to continue, but he looked back at her without saying a word.

"Well, it's your word against Charlie's, and he talked first. So…" Sharon got on her feet and Tao did the same.

"Wait! Okay, I was with Charlie, but he's the one who always pulls the trigger!" Lionel yelled and Sharon sat back down, followed by Tao right away.

"Why did he shoot Martin?"

"Richard ordered him to."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He didn't give us no details, we weren't his friends."

"So why did he shoot Richard if he was getting orders from him?"

"I… I don't know," Lionel muttered.

"Fine. I'll take Charlie's version of events," she said and got up again. This time, Tao stayed in his chair and waited for her to sit back down.

"No, wait! I really don't know much. Someone called Charlie and told him to kill Richard."

"Was it one of the cartel bosses?" Sharon asked from her standing position, looking down on her suspect.

"I guess… I don't know. Richard was our boss, we don't know the others."

"Your brother obviously does."

"He's been working for them longer than I have. He got me on this job."

Sharon sat back down and looked at Lionel for a few seconds in silence. "Tell me what was Richard's part in the cartel."

"No, I'm not saying another word before you get me a deal with the DA and promise me my brother won't get it first," Lionel crossed his arms on his chest again and glared at Sharon.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43:**

"SID didn't find any evidence of forced entry. It's obvious that the victim knew his attackers," Sykes reported to Sharon when she came in the murder room, after visiting the morgue with Tao.

"Really, Sykes, what an insight," Provenza said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. Flynn and Sanchez smiled tiredly.

"Thank you, Detective. Could you please get DDA Hobbs here?" Sharon said nicely, ignoring Provenza's words. Sykes nodded and picked up the phone to do as asked.

"Captain, what did Morales say?" Flynn asked.

"Uh…" Sharon stared at him. It suddenly hit her that it could have been him who got shot outside that coffee shop, and her heart started beating fast. "I…"

"He extracted three bullets from the victim's chest and stomach," Tao said. "There were no defensive wounds on the body, so the shooter probably took him by surprise."

Sharon nodded absent-mindedly, since she was only half-listening.

"Captain…" Provenza approached her. "Are you sure you can do this? We can take it," he asked quietly, and his voice sounded strangely gentle.

"I'm fine, thank you," she frowned.

"Uh, Captain, we questioned all the tenants on the fifth floor. No one heard gunshots," Sanchez said in his usual quiet voice.

Sharon nodded again. "Okay, so the attackers were let in the apartment, suddenly pulled a gun out -"

"With a silencer," Sanchez interrupted her.

"Yes. They shot him three times and apparently took nothing, leaving no evidence behind," she continued to summarize.

"Definitely sounds like a hit," Tao said from his desk. "But why? Why kill one of their own?"

"Maybe another crime boss didn't like the cartel taking over his streets?" Provenza suggested.

"Maybe…" Sharon muttered. "But I think it's an inside war. Hernandez said that they got a call ordering them to kill Richard."

"So maybe Charlie double crossed his bosses and worked for someone else," Flynn said, hoping that this time Sharon could speak to him like a normal human being, without losing her line of thought.

"We can try and get him to talk by telling him we got a deal for his brother, but from what Lionel said, I think Charlie is planning a long career in the cartel, so I wouldn't go for a double cross," Sharon said without looking directly at him and he rolled his eyes.

The phone on Tao's desk rang and he answered quickly, just as Sykes finished her call and announced that Hobbs will be there shortly. Tao got on his feet and froze when Sharon turned her head to him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, uh… Dr. Morales is waiting for the tox screen results, and once he confirms the victim didn't have any drugs in his system…" he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "He'll release the... body."

The faces of everyone in the room turned to look at Sharon with interest.

"Oh…" she straightened her jacket and tried to smile, "Thank you. I will let his mother know." Everyone exchanged wondering looks, as they all thought that Sharon will be the one organizing the funeral. She looked around the room and examined their faces. "What?"

They all looked away quickly, some muttering the word 'nothing', but she knew that they were wondering what happened between Richard and her.

(***)

An hour later, Sharon was back in the interview room, this time with Hobbs. Across the table sat Lionel Hernandez and his public defender, Paul Stern, who arrived a few minutes earlier. The whole squad was watching from electronics with agents Howard and Blackburn.

"What do you have to offer?" Stern asked, looking at Hobbs.

"Depends on the information he gives us. I can get him immunity if it's good enough to bring the cartel down," she answered.

Stern leaned towards Lionel and whispered something in his ear. They whispered back and forth for a few seconds, and Sharon looked at Hobbs, rolling her eyes. Hobbs smiled for a moment and turned her head to look again at Stern and Lionel.

"Well?" she asked impatiently, tapping her fingers quietly on the edge of the table.

"Fine, he'll tell you everything he knows in exchange for immunity," Stern said and they all looked at Lionel, who looked hesitantly at Stern and saw he was nodding at him to start talking.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44:**

Sharon took out four pictures from a folder and placed them in a row, in front of Lionel. "Do you recognize any of these men?" she asked calmly.

Lionel glanced at the pictures and nodded. "Yeah, they were all Charlie's hits."

"Tell us about the hits."

"This dude…" he pointed at the anonymous, first victim, "Charlie killed him because he was getting jobs that Charlie wanted. That's when he told me to come and work for the cartel too."

"After he killed… what was his name?"

"Yeah. Alberto Diaz, but everyone called him Beto."

Sharon glanced at the camera to signal her squad to check the name, and then looked back at Lionel.

"This one," he pointed at Adama's picture, and Sharon's heart skipped a beat. "He was the witness to Beto's murder. Charlie and Andres Alves worked on this together, to get me out of jail."

"Why Alves?"

"Richard trusted him more than he trusted Charlie. I guess he just liked him better, or whatever."

"What do you know about the murder?"

"It was on the street, one shot to the heart. I was in jail, so I only know what they told me. Alves," he pointed at the third victim's picture, "I don't know who told Charlie to kill him, but he was definitely following orders," Lionel nodded.

"How can you be so sure?" Sharon frowned.

"The bosses are crazy. If you do something inside the cartel without their permission, you're dead."

Sharon raised her eyebrows and sighed. "Why did Charlie leave the murder weapon next to Alves' body?"

"He took Andres' gun and left his own there, to make you people believe it was Andres who shot all those people," he looked down at the last picture, the one of John Martin. "I already told you about this guy. I don't know why Richard wanted him dead."

Sharon was sure that Richard didn't want John Martin dead. It just didn't make any sense, since an hour before the murder he told him about her affair with Flynn and wanted him to act on that information. Moreover, Richard invited Sharon and _Flynn_ to that coffee shop, so he thought it would be Flynn with her when he sent the Hernandez brothers.

Lionel took Sharon's silence as doubt, and resumed talking. "Richard showed Charlie the guy he wanted him to hit, but it was dark, so…"

"So?"

"So… we followed you when you left work."

Sharon looked at him, frozen, and felt the gaze of everyone in the room on her. "Uh… you followed me? Why?"

"You were meeting with the guy, right?" he pointed at Martin's picture again, "that's what Richard told Charlie."

"R… right," she muttered and scratched her head uncomfortably. "Um… what was Richard's part in the cartel?"

Lionel shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "I can't… they'll kill me."

"No, they won't, Lionel," Sharon said gently, trying to earn his trust. "The FBI can put you on the witness protection program." He looked at her with fear in his eyes. "I promise you. Everyone here wants to see the cartel finished. You'll be much appreciated for your help."

"Okay, okay. Charlie told me that Richard… he was in charge of human trafficking."

Sharon froze again. She stopped breathing for a moment as the words 'human trafficking' echoed in her head.

Hobbs looked at her with concern after a few moments of silence, in which everyone waited for Sharon to speak. "Captain Raydor?" she asked hesitantly.

"Excuse me," Sharon half-whispered and got up quickly. She opened the door and exited the room, finally taking a deep breath. The door closed behind her just when someone appeared from behind the corner and she turned her head to see Flynn leaning against the wall, looking at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

Sharon shook her head. "How could he do something like that? He was a father." She wanted to walk over to Flynn and bury her head against his chest, but instead she only looked at him with longing in her eyes.

"Sharon, I wish…"

"No, don't," she turned her back to him and walked away, leaving him there to watch her disappear behind a door that led to another hallway.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45:**

Three days later, everyone was deep in the investigation. Two of the three cartel bosses were brought in for questioning but couldn't be arrested yet, and the FBI was looking for the third. Lionel Hernandez was heavily guarded as a state's witness, along with Monique Smith.

Sharon left in the middle of the day, while the squad members and the FBI agents were busy interrogating the cartel heads, to meet with Cat and Rusty for lunch and then go together to Richard's funeral. She didn't want to, but did it anyway for her children. Chris, her older son, arrived with his wife, Julia, in LA just an hour before the funeral, and they settled quickly in Cat's apartment.

When Sharon arrived at the funeral with Cat and Rusty, she had no idea that the FBI agents were watching them from the inside of a van, which was parked across the street. A few people were already there, by the open grave, when the three of them stood in front of it and waited for the priest.

"Where's your brother?" Sharon whispered to Cat.

"Should be here any minute now," she replied.

Sharon nodded just as she heard someone clearing his throat behind her. She turned around and saw the whole squad standing there, with Provenza at the front. Her eyebrows arched in surprise for a second before she greeted them hesitantly.

"We thought we should be here," Provenza said, speaking for all of them, and Sharon didn't know if he meant to support her, or just to see if one of Richard's criminal friends comes to the funeral. Or maybe both.

"Well… thank you," they all stood in a raw to her left, with Provenza being the closest one to her. "That's… nice of you," she added just as she saw Chris some yards away, approaching them in large strides. "Excuse me," she said quickly and walked towards Chris. They met in the middle, far enough from everyone's ears, but close enough to be seen.

"Hey, Mom," he said when she pulled him into a hug.

"Oh… I've missed you!" she squeezed him tight and shut her eyes for a moment before moving back and examining him. "You look good. Where's Julia?"

"She wasn't feeling so well, so she stayed at Cat's apartment," he offered her his arm and she grabbed it by his elbow as they started walking towards the little crowd.

"Will she be okay?"

"Sure," he said without giving away any details.

"Is it a sin for me to be happy to see you on your father's funeral?" she whispered and he tried not to smile.

"Hey, brother, I see you found the key I left you," Cat said and hugged him.

"Yeah, thanks for the hospitality."

Sharon was about to take her place between Provenza and Cat again, when she heard a familiar voice behind her and froze.

"Don't I get some hugs?"

"Grandma Angela!" Chris and Cat whispered, trying to hide their happiness, and hugged her as Sharon turned around slowly and waited, her face sealed. Angela was very similar to Sharon physically, only her hair was very light brown and tied in a bun. She almost looked like an older version of her daughter.

The squad members were all looking at the family reunion with interest. Except for Flynn, none of them knew anything about her personal life, and even he never met anyone from her family besides Cat.

"Sherry, am I just going to wait here for a hug?" Angela asked and Sharon rolled her eyes as her mother came closer to her, while the squad members exchanged amused looks and tried not to smile after hearing their captain's nickname.

"I hate it when you call me that," Sharon muttered.

"I know," Angela said coldly and patted on her daughter's back while hugging her, feeling how reluctant Sharon was to hug in front of all those people. "Why did I have to hear from my grandson that his father died?" she asked.

"I had no idea you loved him so much, Mother," Sharon said sarcastically after pulling away from the hug.

"Loved him? I'm here to gloat," Angela said, causing the detectives to smile again.

"Charming," Sharon said in her usual cold voice and Provenza cleared his throat. "Oh, Mother, these are the detectives of the Major Crimes division. And Buzz," Sharon said formally and told her their names. "This is my mother, Angela Scott."

"Five men working under you. Impressive. I knew I did something right in my life -"

"Okay, Mother, let's go over there," Sharon put her hands on her mother's shoulders and started pushing her gently away from the squad.

"Are you shutting me up?" Angela asked.

"I'm taking you to your grandchildren!" Sharon whispered loudly. Her mother was the only person in the world who could so easily unbalance her.

"Sharon," once again she heard a voice behind her and turned around quickly, this time to see Richard's mother. Her eyes were red and swollen, and Sharon knew she'd been crying.

"Karen, hi," she said hesitantly, "I'm so sorry for your loss." She put her arm on her shoulder in a half-hug, and directed her to the row between her and Cat.

"Thank you. But you know I lost him years ago," Karen said in a shaky voice.

"We'll talk after the burial," Sharon whispered as the priest arrived and started the ceremony. She stared at the casket, feeling peaceful inside. The one person she was afraid of was finally dead. She hoped he didn't leave anything behind that might hurt her children and her, but knew she'd have to be careful for the next few months, especially with Flynn.

A man on the other side of the grave was looking at her with interest. He smiled and nodded at her when she looked at him, and then turned around and walked away. Sharon took a step backwards, out of the row, and walked behind her family and the rest of the people, following the stranger. Flynn and Provenza exchanged wondering looks, and followed her with their eyes.

The man was walking on the path that led to the street, and Sharon did the same. They were now far enough not to hear the priest, and the tall bushes that were planted along the path hid them from anyone standing by the grave.

"Excuse me!" she yelled and he turned around. "Who are you?"

The man smiled again. "I'm your guardian angel," he said and smiled.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46:**

"Excuse me?" she said again, amazed.

"I know how that son of a bitch treated you. But he's dead now," the man smiled again. "You're gonna get all of his money. Smile."

"I don't want his money, but you're wrong. He didn't leave anything for my _children_," she said, just to get him to talk more.

"That's what you think. You'll be getting a surprise very soon."

Sharon squinted, but didn't respond to his last words. "Who did you say you were?"

"I didn't. Let's just say Richard and I worked together," the man smiled and started to walk away again. Sharon stayed in her spot, watching him as he merged with the people walking the street and disappeared among them. A second later, Blackburn came from the same direction she was looking at.

"What the hell, Raydor?" he said angrily.

"What?" she asked absent-mindedly.

"That was Carlos Reyes. Where did he go?" he was short of breath.

"The third cartel boss?" Sharon asked, shocked. "But he was completely different in the picture you've showed us!"

"Yeah, well, it was an old picture. What the hell did he say to you?"

"Nothing, really. He wouldn't tell me who he was, just that he worked with Richard. I thought he was a lawyer."

Blackburn examined her face, trying to determine if she was telling the truth. "If I find out he told you something else and you're holding back…"

"Goodbye," she said shortly, turning her back to him, and started walking back to the burial.

"Mom, where the hell have you been?" Cat asked when Sharon came back and realized that the ceremony was over, and people were starting to leave.

"Do not talk to your mother like that," Angela said firmly and Cat looked down, so they couldn't see her rolling her eyes.

"Captain, we should be heading back and resume the investigation," Provenza said.

"Yes, I'll be there shortly," Sharon said and watched the squad members walking away.

"You're not coming to the wake?" Karen asked in disappointment.

"Mom's busy, Grandma, but we're coming," Chris said kindly.

"Karen, I really want us to talk, but I can't today. Can we schedule something for the weekend?" Sharon said hastily.

"Sure, I'll call you," Karen smiled at her and Sharon started walking away, leaving her children with their grandmothers and Rusty.

Provenza and Flynn waited for her at a distance and she approached them on the way to her car, the wind mussing her hair.

"Who was that man, Captain?" Flynn asked.

"Apparently, Carlos Reyes. I didn't know until he left and Blackburn came, started accusing me again for holding things back."

"What a moron," Flynn muttered.

"I hate working with the FBI," Provenza said grumpily. "Your mother is coming," he added and pointed at a spot behind Sharon.

She sighed and rolled her eyes just as Angela reached them.

"Sherry, it's awfully impolite to go to work and not show your respect to Karen. Poor woman just lost her son," she said without a hint of a sentiment in her voice.

"Well, it's because of her _son_ that I have to go back to work, Mother," Sharon muttered angrily. "And Karen knows I respect her. I'll see you later."

"When can I come and see your office?" Angela wasn't going to make it easier on her daughter.

Sharon was about to say 'never', but Provenza spoke before she even opened her mouth.

"Oh, you can come anytime, Mrs. Scott," he said kindly and Sharon turned to look at him with her eyes opened wide.

"That's very nice of you, Lieutenant…"

"Provenza," he completed her sentence with a smiled.

"How about now?" Angela asked and Sharon's lips created the word 'no' twice.

"Sure, why not?" Provenza said happily, even though he saw what Sharon was doing.

"We're very busy with that investigation, Lieutenant," Flynn said, trying to help Sharon.

"Nonsense! There's always time for visitors," Provenza said and started walking with Angela to his car.

"Thanks for trying," Sharon said quietly.

"Your mother seems… nice," he cleared his throat and Sharon chuckled bitterly.

"No she's not. She's cold and distant to most people. Like me."

"Well, then… I love her already," he whispered and started walking to his car, leaving Sharon behind, biting her bottom lip and fighting the desire to take him in her arms.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47:**

Sharon and Sanchez entered the interview room, where Charlie Hernandez and his lawyer were waiting. The squad has been trying to get him to talk ever since they arrested him and his brother, but so far, he listened to his lawyer and kept quiet.

The rest of the squad members were in the electronics room and waited for the interrogation to start so they can watch. Provenza let Angela in the room without her daughter's knowledge, while Sharon thought he was showing her the break room. Flynn looked at them as they both sat down, and rolled his eyes, knowing that Sharon wouldn't like Angela's presence there.

"Okay, Charlie," Sharon started calmly, "This is going to be your last chance before you go to trial for five counts of first degree murder, which is a crime punishable by _death_," she said the last word slowly.

"I don't care. I'd rather die than spend my whole life in prison," Charlie said with a sealed face. "Besides, if I talk… I'll be dead anyway."

"Not if we don't put you in general population," she said, but Charlie only shrugged.

Sharon and Sanchez looked at him silently for a few seconds. "Are you catholic, Charlie?" Sharon asked suddenly in a quiet voice, and Sanchez frowned as he wondered where she was heading with this question.

"Y… yes," Charlie stuttered, confused.

"So you believe in god?" Sharon continued.

"Yeah… so?" he tried to sound tough, as if he didn't care at all being in jail.

"So, if you get the death penalty, you won't have the chance to atone for your sins. Don't you care about your soul?" she asked in a low, dramatic tone.

"I…"

"We all want to go to heaven, Charlie," she half-whispered to make it even more dramatic, hoping he'd fall for it.

Charlie stared at her for a while, wondering what to do. The fact that this was his last chance, along with Sharon's words seemed to have an effect on him.

"Don't say a word, Charlie," his lawyer said.

"Charlie, you lawyer works for the cartel," Sanchez said in his usual quiet voice. "He doesn't care if you _die and go to hell_, as long as you don't say anything."

Charlie glared at his lawyer. "Yeah, Rivera. You haven't helped me at all. Get out," he said angrily and they looked firmly at each other.

"Don't be stupid, Charlie," Rivera said menacingly.

"Mr. Rivera, thank you for your service. It's no longer needed," Sharon said and tried not to smile.

Rivera cast one last angry look at Charlie and exited the room quickly, having left with no choice.

"Tell me what you know about the cartel and Richard," Sharon said.

"Look, Richard didn't tell us nothing. I heard him once talking about two safes in which he kept his files. One's in his office and I don't know about the other."

In the electronics room, Provenza asked Tao to get a search warrant for Richard's office.

"My daughter is quite good at this, isn't she?" Angela said proudly.

"Yeah, very much," Flynn said. He smiled absent-mindedly, but just for a second, as Provenza gave him a suspicious look for complimenting Sharon. "Look," he pointed at the screen and Provenza turned his head back to it, just in time to see Sharon exiting the interview room while Sanchez remained there and supervised Charlie while he wrote down his statement.

"Crap," Provenza muttered and got on his feet. "Maybe we should go and see the break room now," he said to Angela in a haste.

"Oh, no, don't. You can stay here and do some Q&A with the Captain. I'm sure she'd love that," Flynn said sarcastically just as the door swung open. Sharon took a step inside but then froze at the sight of her mother.

"What is my mother doing here?" she asked, looking at Provenza.

"Oh, dear, don't be angry with the Lieutenant. I forced my way in here and sat on this chair, even though he repeatedly asked me to leave," Angela said with a serious face. Flynn rolled his eyes again while Provenza suppressed a smile.

"Really, Mother?" Sharon asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Of course," Angela got on her feet and walked toward Sharon and the door. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to Karen's house, to _support her_," the last two words were said a little louder, to emphasize the fact that Sharon wasn't planning on going to the wake.

"Great. Do you need me to show you the way out?" Sharon asked coldly.

"No need. See you later," Angela replied with the exact same cold tone. Provenza and Flynn felt like they were watching Sharon speaking with herself.

"Goodbye," Sharon closed the electronics room on her mother before she had time to react, and walked to the monitors; Charlie was still writing.

"Captain, I think we should go to the wake," Sykes said suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Sharon turned her head slowly to look at her.

"Well, we're looking for a lot of the cartel people. Carlos Reyes might go there, or any of the others we want to arrest," Sykes said.

Sharon considered her offer for a moment and then nodded. "You're right. We'll all go once we got a warrant and searched Richard's office. Good thinking."

"The day Detective Sykes had a great idea," Provenza said sarcastically in a fake proud tone.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48:**

Sharon walked on the path leading to the entrance door of her mother-in-law's enormous house. She always appreciated the beauty of this old building. When her children were still living with her, they used to visit this house a lot, but after they grew up and moved out she had no reason to go there anymore. Although she liked Karen a lot, she preferred severing every connection to Richard after they separated, and stayed away as much as she could from his family. Seeing the house after years of not visiting this place brought up some very old memories, from the short time she was happily married.

She entered the house and looked around. Sykes and Tao were standing in the entrance hall and it looked like they were engaged in a conversation, but Sharon could tell they were examining the people around them. She nodded at them and continued to the big living room, where she saw her mother sitting on a couch with Provenza and Flynn. As she drew closer to them from behind, she started hearing their conversation, and panic took over her.

"…and she had her first boyfriend when she was 17. This one time, I came back from work and caught them –"

"Mother!" Sharon said loudly and they all turned to look at her.

"Oh, hello, darling," Angela said calmly.

"Hello, _Angela_," Sharon emphasized her name to express her resentment. "Thank you for having a nice conversation with my detectives, but they're supposed to be doing something very important right now," she glared at Provenza and Flynn and then looked back at her mother.

"Alright. Let me just finish my sentence," Angela said.

"NO, Mother, why don't you go over there, to your grandchildren?" Sharon pointed at the other side of the living room, where Cat and Chris were standing and talking with their uncle Dany, Richard's brother. "Let the lieutenants do their job."

Angela got up and squinted at Sharon. "You never stop working," she stated and turned to walk toward her grandchildren.

"Yes, you know me," Sharon said monotonically, "always work before embarrassing stories about my life."

Provenza tried to stifle his laughter while Angela expressed her disgruntlement with Sharon's sarcasm and walked away. "Your mother is truly great," he said, amused.

"Too bad I can't say the same thing about your professionalism right now," her voice was stern and quite menacing. Provenza got up quickly and started to examine the guests as he walked around the room.

Sharon sat on the couch next to Flynn and sighed tiredly. He watched her quietly, his gaze moving down slowly from her face and resting on her chest just as she looked at him.

"Andy, really?" she whispered impatiently, "we're in a wake."

"Yeah, shame on me. I really loved the guy and now I'm fantasizing about his wife during his wake," Flynn whispered back and Sharon fought the urge to smile. She loved his sarcastic humor.

"Fantasizing?" she whispered.

Flynn looked around and saw that no one was close enough to hear them. "I miss you," he whispered.

Sharon dropped her gaze sadly and stared at his tie to avoid his eyes. The truth was, she missed him very much, but she was too afraid to start seeing him again.

"Sharon! Thank you for coming," she heard Karen's voice to her right, and turned to look at her before getting up to greet her while Flynn also got on his feet and took a few steps away from them so they can talk, although he could still hear them.

"Karen, how are you doing?" Sharon asked gently.

"Oh, I'm fine, I guess," she said sadly, "but, Sharon, I want to apologize to you."

"What? Why?" Sharon frowned.

"You know… for Richard. I probably don't know half the things he did to you, but –"

"Karen, stop. There's no need for that."

"Yes, there is. I've failed with Richard as a mother. He was my responsibility."

Sharon directed Karen to the couch and they both sat down. "Karen, Richard was a grown man when he started with his addictions and the bad things he did. Look at your two other sons; you've done a great job with them."

Flynn listened carefully to their conversation. Sharon didn't like talking about her past, so he saw it as an opportunity for learning something about it.

Guests started leaving and came over to say goodbye to Karen. The conversation was cut short, and Sharon excused herself before going to the bathroom. She walked down a long, deserted corridor, and thought about what Flynn said to her a few minutes ago. She wanted to be with him so badly that it almost hurt physically, as if the pain was in her blood.

Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind and put their hand on her mouth while dragging her into a room to her right that she had just passed by.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49:**

Sharon tried to scream but the hand was pressed too hard on her mouth. She heard the door closing and suddenly, the person holding her lifted his hand from her face and released her. She turned around quickly and saw Carlos Reyes.

"You!" she sounded amazed.

"I'm sorry for dragging you like that, but I assumed you wouldn't just come in a room with me if I asked," he said calmly. Sharon squinted at him in confusion. She couldn't believe he had the guts to appear in Richard's wake with everyone looking for him.

"I'm going to arrest you," she said slowly and examined him. For her, he was one of the bad guys, although she couldn't help but notice how good looking he was. His strong jawline and warm eyes gave her confused her. She couldn't believe someone with those eyes was a bad person.

Reyes leaned against the wall nonchalantly and crossed his arms on his chest. "No, you won't," he smiled. Once again, it wasn't a mean smile, but more mischievous.

"Oh, really? How can you be so sure?" she hated how relaxed he looked in a situation like that.

"Well, you're not carrying cuffs, so you'll need to use your physical strength, which does not match mine, to drag me all the way to the entrance hall, where your detectives are," he explained calmly and Sharon arched her eyebrows. "Yes, I know they're there. Actually, I know much more about you and your squad than you can imagine."

"That's very reassuring," she said sarcastically and he smiled again as he lowered his arms.

"I've been watching the squad for a while now. Especially you."

"Trying to plan the best way to kill us all?" she asked in a tone that could have been used to talk about the weather. For some reason, she didn't feel intimidated by him.

"Kill? Why would I kill you?"

"Why? Because we brought down your cartel?"

"Thank god. I've been trying to leave it for a long time."

Sharon stared at him, not sure if she believed him or not. "From what the FBI told us, you were the founder."

"No, no, they've got it all wrong," he moved away from the wall and took a step forward, expecting Sharon to move back, but she stayed in her place. "Fifteen years ago, I really needed to make some money, to help my son go to college. I worked in construction so I couldn't afford even one year for him, and I didn't want to disappoint him."

"So you started selling drugs to kids," Sharon stated and now it was her turn to cross her arms on her chest.

"Not at all. I sold pot to some people in my boss' neighborhood. _Adults_. Bored housewives and such," he explained, but Sharon shook her head judgmentally. "Anyway," he continued, "I got more and more customers with time, until the whole thing got out of my hands when those two sharks took over my little business."

"You mean Nicolas Suarez and Ignacio Garcia, your two partners? The ones we brought in for questioning?"

"They're not my partners. I mean, technically they are, but I was forced into it."

"And you couldn't go to the police all those years?" she didn't like people making excuses for anything, especially crimes.

"Not if I wanted to live. But some time ago I figured I could help you people by starting some inside wars, cracking the cartel wall."

"You were the one who sent Hernandez to kill Richard, weren't you?"

"Unfortunately, no. I hated that son of a bitch. But I did mention to Garcia that the FBI was closing in on Richard, and the profession of his wife... I guess they didn't like it much."

Sharon squinted again. "This is unacceptable. I'm getting my detectives here," she walked to the door but he put his hand on it and blocked her way.

"I've been watching you ever since you started investigating the cartel," he said.

His words were supposed to threaten her, but Sharon heard something gentle in his voice. "Are you trying to scare me?" she asked in a low voice.

"No," he chuckled, "I'm trying to tell you that I really liked what I saw. You're a very good person. Almost too good."

Sharon sighed. She didn't know how to react to what he just said. "What do you want? Why are you here?"

"Let's just say… I'm your guardian angel," he said and Sharon scoffed, but he ignored it. "I know you didn't find anything important in Richard's office."

"So? You're probably happy."

"Not really. The second safe is in his apartment. Look for it. And… take this," he handed her a piece of paper and she looked at it.

"What's that?" she asked without taking it.

"The code to the safe," he said and Sharon took it quickly.

"Thank you," her voice was hesitant as she still wasn't sure if she should believe everything he told her.

"Can I go now?" he pointed at the door on the other side of the room, which led to the yard.

"I'm going to get my detectives here… but I have no way of restraining you," she said, and he understood the hidden approval in her words. He removed his hand and moved from the door so she can get out.

"You're an incredible woman," he said quietly as she opened the door. She looked at him with a sealed face for a moment before exiting the room and walking to the entrance hall.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50:**

Sharon walked out of the elevator and the first thing she saw was Flynn waiting for her outside her apartment. They looked at each other without saying a word as she approached him, both with their eyes fixed on the other.

"Hey," he said tiredly.

"Hello. What are you doing here?" she asked, and he could hear in her voice that she was just as tired.

"I want to talk… about us," he said hesitantly.

"I don't think there's anything to talk about."

"Sharon, Richard's dead and you took the pictures, so we can –"

"No, we can't," she said firmly and his shoulders slumped forward in disappointment. "We don't know if he told anyone else, or kept more pictures somewhere. It's too soon."

"Yeah, I get it," he said and started walking toward the elevator.

"What do you get?" she asked.

Flynn turned around in midway to look at her. "That it's always going to be too soon for you. But I get it, your career is very important to you," he said and continued to walk.

"Andy, wait," she said and watched him as he stopped by the elevator and pushed the button with his back to her. _I love you_, she thought without verbalizing the words. The elevator door opened and Flynn stepped inside. He turned around to face the doors and they looked at each other again. Sharon felt his gaze of disappointment like a spear to her heart. She wanted to run over to the elevator, pull him out of it and let him take her in his arms, where she always felt safe, but her legs didn't obey her heart. The elevator doors closed on him and Sharon was left alone in the hallway. She tilted her head down and shut her eyes for a moment before she heard a noise and looked back up.

Cat got out of her apartment and walked toward her mother.

"Hi," she said quietly, trying not to disturb the neighbors.

"Hi, honey," Sharon said in the same quiet tone of her daughter's.

"Where is Grandma staying?"

"In my apartment."

"Where, exactly? On the couch?"

"Uh… No. She's taking my bed."

"So you're gonna sleep on the couch?" Cat asked and it was clear that she didn't like the idea of it.

"Yes."

"Why don't you tell Rusty to sleep on the couch? He's a teenager; they can sleep anywhere, anytime."

"No. Rusty stays in his bed," Sharon said firmly. "It's not his fault my mother dropped in unannounced.

"But –"

"Good night, Cat," Sharon opened the door and entered her dimly lit apartment. She waved to Cat as she closed the door, and then walked to the living room, where Angela was sitting and reading the newspaper. She looked up and folded it once she saw Sharon.

"Finally. I was beginning to worry," she said monotonically. Sharon sat down next to her and leaned her head on the backrest.

"I needed to finish something with the squad," she muttered.

"You shouldn't work so much, or you'll get ill," Angela watched her daughter with a sealed face.

"Who's going to catch the bad guys?" Sharon asked with her eyes shut. She could barely speak from how tired she was, but she finally got to be alone with her mother, and she missed that.

"I'm sure that Lieutenant Provenza can do without you," Angela said calmly.

Sharon opened her eyes and looked at her. "Thanks, Mom," she said sarcastically.

"I'm just worried about you. Why don't you retire? You're eligible by now, aren't you?"

"I'm not going to retire, now that I have a dream job."

"Yes, quite dreamy indeed," Angela muttered. Her voice didn't change, but Sharon knew she was being sarcastic.

"Mother…"

"Your father wanted to see you too, but he had no intention of going to that bastard's funeral," Angela changed the subject. She knew her daughter well enough to know that there was no way of convincing her. "He said he'll visit you soon."

"Good," Sharon muttered. She was too tired to elaborate.

Angela remained quiet for a few moments, and then leaned her head on the backrest, just like Sharon. "He seems like a good man," she said gently.

Sharon frowned in confusion. "Dad?"

"Lieutenant Flynn," Angela continued with her gentle tone.

"What?!" Sharon sat up and looked at her. "Why are you telling me –?"

"A mother always knows. I've noticed the way you look at him. Don't worry, strangers wouldn't notice," she added the last part quickly as Sharon's eyes widened in fear.

"There's nothing going on between us," she muttered sadly.

"But there WAS something, right?" Angela put her hand on Sharon's knee, as to console her.

"Richard found out."

"Oh… of course he did. Bastard."

"He IS a good man," Sharon muttered.

"Richard?" Angela frowned and Sharon chuckled tiredly.

"Andy. Lieutenant Flynn."

Angela nodded slowly. "Do you love him?" she asked, and Sharon looked away. "Never mind, I got my answer." She got up and straightened her black blouse.

"Are you going to sleep?" Sharon asked and got up too.

"Yes. Feel free to come into the room to get what you need. I know it's an inconvenient, but I'll be out of your hair in a few days," Angela walked a few steps toward the bedroom and stopped by the door. "Dear… don't waste your time on shame or fear. I don't want you to retire in a few years and realize you've made a terrible mistake by letting him go. Love is always important, but much more once your career comes to an end," she continued to walk and disappeared behind the bedroom door, leaving Sharon to stare at the spot where she was standing just a second ago.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51:**

"Morning, Captain," Provenza said as he approached Sharon when she entered the murder room, and she froze on the spot. Between the two of them, she was always the first one to greet, so she knew that something was off.

"Good morning," she said slowly.

"We all wanted to thank you for the invitation. What a great idea," he said happily.

Sharon frowned in confusion. "W… what idea?"

"The idea of inviting us all for dinner tonight!" he said and she swallowed hard, trying to calm herself. "Your mother sounded very enthusiastic on the phone a few minutes ago."

_Note to self: kill Mother_, Sharon thought to herself while forcing herself to smile. "Great," she said quietly and started walking again toward her office. Flynn looked up and watched her as she passed by him. He didn't seem very happy, and she wished he could read her mind at that precise moment, although she wasn't sure what she would've told him.

The door to her office closed behind her after she entered it, but immediately opened again and she turned her head to see Tao on the threshold.

"Lieutenant," she muttered and he walked to her desk while she sat down on her comfortable office chair.

"The info you received from Reyes two days ago was good. I came in early and studied the documents we retrieved last night from Richard's second safe. He was very organized, I gotta give him that," he scoffed.

"What's in the documents?" she asked.

"Everything, and I mean, everything about his human trafficking operation: the way he smuggled women into the country, the names of his employees, the houses where they locked those girls… I gave the addresses to agent Howard. The FBI will probably be there soon," Tao elaborated, as always.

"Good," Sharon said shortly. "Can we link Suarez and Garcia to Richard's crimes?"

"That's the catch," he said hesitantly. "They're not mentioned anywhere in these documents. They did a great job in covering their tracks."

Sharon sighed. "We have to get something on them. The FBI has been tailing them for two years and they still have nothing that will hold in court."

"Maybe Reyes can help again?" he asked carefully.

"Maybe… but I have no way of contacting him."

"Well, didn't you say he was following you?"

"Yes."

"So… why don't you leave a note somewhere for him? Like on your car maybe."

Sharon considered the idea for a moment and decided it was good. She took a blank paper and wrote 'We need to talk'. Tao volunteered to go down to the parking floor and put it under the windshield wiper on Sharon's car.

The squad members interrogated cartel employees all day long. Some of the suspects didn't talk at all, some gave useful information and some claimed they knew nothing. By the end of the day, most of the people they interrogated couldn't be charged with anything, and frustration spread around the murder room, creeping into everyone's hearts. When it was almost time to go, everyone kept quiet. They all sat at their desks, each deep in thoughts or staring at random spots in the room with disappointment in their eyes. The heavy atmosphere was very notable, and Sharon felt the pressure to advance the investigation.

She wondered what to do next as she walked to her car from the elevator on the parking floor. The car alarm beeped twice when she pressed the little button on the remote control, announcing that the doors were now open. Sharon looked at the windshield and saw that her note was still there, untouched. She sighed as she opened the door and got inside the car. When she closed the door, the stillness inside was so dense that she could hear the blood streaming in her head. The silence was only interrupted by the sound of the engine starting, until Sharon looked in the rearview mirror and let out a scream.

Carlos Reyes was sitting in the backseat and smiling at her.

"What the hell?!" she said with panic in her voice and put her hand over her heart, feeling it pounding frantically. "Where did you come from?"

"I was curved behind you seat. You really should check your car before entering," his voice was light and casual, as if he wasn't in a police station with everyone looking for him, and as if he didn't almost scare her to death.

"Do you follow me all the time?" her voice changed back to the usual cold one.

"No, of course not. Sometimes I follow the old guy. And sometimes I follow your lover," he said in the same relaxed tone, and Sharon felt as if someone had just slapped her across the face.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52:**

"Don't worry," he added quickly when he saw her concerned face, "your secret's safe with me."

"I… I don't have anyone," she tried to sound nonchalant.

"Yes, I figured you'd break it off when Richard threatened you."

"Is there anything you don't know?" he was starting to annoy her.

"I hope not. Hey, now that you're single again, what are the odds you'll go out with me?" he smiled mischievously.

"Excuse me?" she asked slowly and her face remained sealed.

"I told you already. I think you're an incredible woman," he wasn't smiling when he said that, and Sharon could tell he was being serious. There was something about him, some charm, but, besides the fact she was in love, she would never even consider getting involved with a criminal.

"I need your help with linking Suarez and Garcia to the cartel," she changed the subject.

Reyes smiled. "Don't I get some deal with the DA for helping you?"

"You can probably get a reduced sentence and spend a few years in jail instead of a lifetime."

"Only if you wait for me to get out," he said jokingly. Sharon looked at him without saying a word. "No? Well, I'll pass, then. I prefer living, and that won't happen if I'm in jail."

"You won't be placed in general population," Sharon tried to convince him.

Reyes chuckled bitterly. "They have people everywhere."

"So you won't help me?"

"I will… because I like you. And because I want to see those sons of bitches rot in jail."

"Good," she said and waited for him to talk.

"If you can find a reason to get a warrant, I can give you the address to a secret warehouse. They never let me anywhere near that place, so there's gotta be something there."

"Information from a CI is a good enough reason for a warrant," she reassured him.

"Confidential informant? Me? I like that," he joked again and Sharon nodded. "You rarely ever smile, do you?"

"Occasionally," she said shortly, her face still serious.

"Well, I guess I'm not _him_. He made you smile."

"What's the address, Reyes?" she ignored him.

"You shouldn't let him go if he makes you smile," he said after telling her the address.

"Thank you for the advice. You can be friends with my mother," she said sarcastically as she typed the address in her iPhone.

"Well, it was great seeing you, but I have to run… literally, since I'm in a police station. Goodbye," he opened the door and got out of the car after looking around and making sure they were alone in the parking floor.

Sharon watched him from the window as he ran and disappeared behind a car. She backed out of her parking space and felt her body driving against her common sense, to a location she knew it was wrong for her to go to. For once, her brain didn't control her. This time, it felt like she was being led by her instincts or emotions, like most people. She didn't think it through before she decided to do it, which was unusual for her. Whatever made her drive that way and knock on that door took over her and left her no choice, and she wasn't sure she liked that.

The door opened and Flynn looked surprised. "Sharon," he said in a tone that matched his face, "come in." She stepped inside and he closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?" he asked and his gaze moved down her body and up again quickly, as if he was looking for physical injuries.

"Andy, I think I made a mistake," she said quietly.

"Don't worry," he said and led her to the living room. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's reparable. I'll help you."

Sharon looked at him fondly, touched by his care for her. Even after he told her he loved her, she wasn't used to the way it felt, being loved. "It's good, that you're willing to help," she hoped he won't change his mind once she told him what she meant by 'mistake', since he got angry the last time they talked about their relationship outside her apartment.

"What is it? What did you do wrong that needs fixing?" he asked and Sharon wondered if he really didn't know, or he just wanted to hear her say it.

"I…" she started, but it was always hard for her to admit she was wrong. She took a deep breath to gather courage before speaking again. "I broke it off… us."

Flynn looked at her and understanding spread on his face. He hoped this would happen, but now that it did, his heart started beating rapidly in excitement or fear, he wasn't sure. "Okay," he said hesitantly, "I guess we can fix that."

"You're not angry with me for turning you down?" she asked carefully.

"I wasn't angry to begin with, I was disappointed. But you should know…" he stopped in midsentence.

"What?"

"If we get back together, you won't have another chance of breaking up with me, because I'm not letting you go again," he completed his sentence. Sharon looked at him with a sealed face for a moment and he wished he could read her mind, because he had no idea how she was taking his words.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53:**

"Don't," Sharon said shortly.

Flynn frowned, not sure he understood. "Don't what?"

She looked at him and bit her bottom lip. She knew that once she'd said those words there was no turning back, but she didn't want to go any other way. Staying away from Flynn wasn't an option for her by now. She didn't think she could handle being around him at work all day without the thought of being in his arms in the evening.

"Don't let me go ever again," she said, and they both took a step forward at the same time, flinging themselves into each other's arms. Flynn bent his head down and brought his lips to hers. The familiar rush he got every time their lips touched flooded his body as he held her tight with his arms around her waist. There was a lot of passion in this kiss after being separated, and just as much relief.

Sharon held him just as tight, her soul yearning to merge with his soul, her body to become one with his. Flynn seemed to have felt the same. His lips wandered away from her mouth and traveled down to her neck. Sharon tilted her head back and savored the sensation of being so desperately desired once again. She felt his hands moving down her back and coming to a halt on her backside, but then she moved back and out of his grip.

"We can't… I have to go home soon," she apologized.

"Oh, right, your mother is cooking us all dinner. What's that all about?"

"I don't know, just a crazy idea of hers," she sighed.

"Can you stay a little?"

"Maybe for coffee," Sharon smiled and they went to the kitchen. She took two cups from a cabinet and placed them on the counter, while Flynn stood behind her with his arms encircling her and his chin resting on her right shoulder.

"I can't move," she chuckled and he smiled, but didnt move.

"Can't we just stand like that for twenty minutes instead of wasting that time on drinking coffee?" he placed a gentle kiss on her neck and Sharon flinched.

"You're tickling me," she giggled and he couldn't help but laugh too. They were too occupied to hear the front door opening and the footsteps coming their way.

"Oh, my god!" someone yelled behind them and they both startled and turned around quickly.

Provenza was standing on the threshold, looking completely terrified. Sharon put her hand over her mouth as her biggest fear was coming true - someone found out about them.

"My eyes are bleeding!" he said when he talked again. "What the hell, Andy?"

"What are you doing, letting yourself in?!" Flynn asked angrily and Sharon touched his arm to calm him.

"I was worried, you seemed off lately! But you're right. NEVER again," Provenza showed him the spare key he was holding, and then dropped it on the table, eager to get rid of it as if it was red hot. He turned around and walked back to the door.

"You have to talk to him!" Sharon whispered and tried to get Flynn to walk by pushing him, although it didn't have much effect on him since he was taller and stronger.

"Okay, okay," he rolled his eyes and ran after Provenza, who had already opened the door. "Wait," he said and Provenza looked at him.

"Andy, seriously?" he asked quietly.

"Very seriously."

"I'm appalled."

"Oh, come on! It's not THAT weird," Flynn said. He was irritated at Provenza for allowing himself to enter his apartment, but there was also a strange feeling of relief, because he could finally talk about his secret with his partner, who was also his closest friend.

"It's… it's…" Provenza stuttered as the words got mixed up in his head from the shock. "She's your boss!" he said in a loud whisper.

"And that's why you can't tell anyone about this."

"Are you kidding me? I have to be an accomplice now?" Provenza was being his usual grumpy self.

"It's not my fault you came here to _spy_ on me," Flynn tried hard not to raise his voice so they don't fight.

"And it's not my fault you refused to tell me," Provenza closed the door and let go of the doorknob. "Fine. But, Andy, come on… Captain Raydor? I figured you were seeing someone, but I expected to find you with some young flesh –"

"Sorry to disappoint you," Sharon said in her usual monotone voice from behind Flynn. He turned around and both him and Provenza looked at her. "Need I remind you that you're both _older_ than I am?"

"Oh, I never denied my own age. I just like younger women… and up until recently, Andy liked them too," Provenza replied bitterly. He seemed like a little child whose best friend was taken away from him.

"I won't say what I think about women who go out with men old enough to be their _grandfathers_," she fired back, enjoying the opportunity to answer his insults – something she avoided entirely at work. Provenza glared at her for a moment without saying a word, and she feared she might have crossed the line.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54:**

"Alright, alright, I deserve it," Provenza held his hands up in surrender. "Fine, I'll keep your disgusting little secret, but it doesn't mean I accept it."

"Who cares?" Flynn said, still irritated with Provenza's behaviour.

"Thank you," Sharon said and nodded shortly.

"I'm going," Provenza said grumpily.

"Me too," she said.

"No, wait, I need to tell you something," Flynn said, looking at Sharon, and then turned his gaze to Provenza. "_You_ can go."

Provenza rolled his eyes and opened the door again. "See you in a bit… unfortunately," he muttered as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

"What is it you need to tell me?" Sharon asked and inserted her hands in the pockets of her black jacket.

"Nothing, but I wanted to do something that I won't be able to do during dinner," he said and entwined his hands in the narrow gap between her waist and her arms. Her hands remained in her pockets as she let him pull her body towards his and kiss her. At first, his lips brushed her lips slowly, as he took his time in relishing that smell of her perfume that he liked so much, but then, she parted her lips and let his tongue reach hers and dance around it frantically, as he accelerated the rhythm of the kiss. It definitely felt like he was kissing her as much as he could in a short amount of time, before he'd have to sit across the table from her and act as if there was nothing going on between them.

Sharon didn't know how long it went on, but she didn't want it to end. Eventually, she felt him slowing it down again, until the kiss stopped. She pulled her hands out of her pockets and wrapped them around his body, as her head rested on his chest. She felt his hand caressing the back of her head gently and closed her eyes.

"I have no idea how to gather enough will power to go home," she muttered and he smiled. "What have you done?"

Flynn chuckled. "Do you want me to push you out the door?"

"Yes. No. I want to stay," she said without moving.

"Good, let's ditch dinner," he said and she lifted her head quickly from his chest, taking a step backwards and straightening her jacket.

"No, I have to go," she started to walk away. A second before she stepped outside through the open door she looked back at him and squinted. "Did you just say that on purpose?" she asked.

"Yep," he answered lightly. "I knew you wouldn't be too keen to do something as horrible as ditching," he said sarcastically and smiled.

"Are you trying to say that I'm a nerd?" she asked with a serious face, and tried not to smile.

"I'm not trying; I'm saying it loud and clear," he kept on smiling and Sharon returned him a little smile before exiting. She knew he was watching her as she walked to her car, but didn't look back. Flynn smiled and waited for her to get inside her car before closing the door.

(***)

"You've already expressed your disgruntlement over the phone. Twice," Angela said coldly while stirring one of the pots which stood on the stove.

"I never mix work with personal life," Sharon said it monotonically as always, but her mother knew she was somewhat angry.

"And how many friends do you have?" Angela asked without looking at her.

"I don't have time for friends. My job is demanding."

"Exactly," Angela agreed as she closed the pot and turned around to look at Sharon.

"What?"

"Are you telling me you never need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on?" Angela squinted at her.

"Yes."

"Oh, please. Why don't you go and see your son? He said he wanted to tell you something," Angela tried to get Sharon off her back in a polite way.

Sharon shook her head but did as her mother said. A minute later, she entered Cat's apartment and saw her sitting in the living room with Rusty, Chris and Julia.

"Mom!" Chris said happily and got up to kiss her.

"Hi, honey," she kissed him and then greeted Julia, who also got on her feet quickly. "Your grandmother said you wanted to tell me something." She looked at Rusty and smiled at him, trying to remember the last time they spent time together, just the two of them. _It was too long ago_, she thought.

"Uh, yes, Mom. Jules and I have been trying to tell you this since we got here, but you're always so busy with that case," it sounded like a reproach even though he didn't mean it.

"Oh, no. I'm so sorry," Sharon said and tried to ignore the little voice in her head telling her she was a bad mother. "Well, I'm here now. What is it?" she asked and her gaze moved from Chris to Julia and then back to Chris in anticipation.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55:**

"Jules is pregnant," Chris smiled and put his arm around his wife's waist, half-hugging her.

Sharon's eyes widened for a moment but then she smiled. She hasn't had time to get used to the idea of being a grandmother, and now both of her children are going to make her one. "Congratulations!" she said happily and hugged the two of them together. "I'm getting TWO grandchildren!" she said before pulling away and they laughed. "Does your grandmother know?"

"No, we wanted to tell you first," Chris said. "Cat figured it out because of Jules' morning sickness and told Rusty, but we asked them not to tell anyone."

Sharon looked at Cat and Rusty, and joy filled her heart. Before her children have met him, she feared that Rusty might not get along with them, and seeing how much they liked each other now made her truly happy.

"Well, maybe you should tell her now, if you don't want her ranting for hours about not knowing earlier," she said and Chris nodded.

"We'll be right back for that pizza," he said to Cat.

"Are you sure you don't want to have dinner with us?" Sharon asked them, and they all nodded at once.

"It'll be pizza night for us," Cat smiled. Truth was, none of them wanted to be present in that awkward evening that Angela had arranged, and Sharon knew it.

Chris and Julia left the apartment with Sharon at the lead. The second she stepped into the hallway, she saw Sykes and Sanchez getting out of the elevator.

"Evening, Captain," Sykes said and Sanchez nodded.

"Good evening. Are you the first ones here?" she asked, trying to sound kind. It was hard for her after a long day, when all she wanted was to have a quiet evening at home.

"No, Ma'am, I believe the rest are already here," Sanchez said quietly. Sharon nodded and showed them the way to her apartment. Chris opened the door to let everyone in and Sharon saw that Sanchez was right. Tao was sitting in the living room with Provenza, Flynn and Angela. They all got up the moment the door opened.

Angela's eyes sparkled when she saw her grandson. "I thought you weren't joining us for dinner," she said, hoping to hear that they have changed their minds.

"We're not, but Mom wanted us to tell you something," Chris said.

"Oh, you finally told her you were having a baby?" she asked coldly and the three froze for a second in shock.

"How did you know?" Sharon asked as she walked to the living room from the entrance, followed by Sykes and Sanchez. Chris and Julia also took a few steps forward but didn't go all the way.

"It's obvious, dear. If you weren't so busy all the time, you'd have noticed too," she said in the same cold tone and Sharon rolled her eyes. "Congratulations. You should have told me earlier," she said to Chris and Julia and then walked towards them.

"Have a seat, please," Sharon said to her squad members and they all sat down on the couch and armchairs.

"Congratulations, Captain," Tao said politely.

"Oh, that's right. You're going to be a grandmother. Congratulations," Provenza smiled, and Sharon wasn't sure if he was mocking her or really being nice.

Half an hour later, they were all sitting around the table, admiring Angela's cooking. The initial awkwardness was no longer hanging between the people in the room, and the conversation at the table was lively. Sharon caught Flynn staring at her a few times, but she looked away quickly at each time, afraid to lose herself in his gaze and get noticed by the others.

"Hey, Angela," Provenza said loudly so she could hear him over the chatter, and everyone turned their heads to look at him. "You owe us the rest of the story from the wake. I believe you stopped just before telling us how you caught your daughter doing something with her boyfriend when she was 17."

"And _I_ believe," Sharon said quickly in a mencaing tone before Angela could respond, and this time everyone looked at her, "that some things should remain in the past," she didn't raise her voice at all but the look in her eyes was intimidating.

"That's true," Angela said. "Besides, Sherry was always a good girl. There's nothing really interesting in her past."

"Thank you, Mother," Sharon said sarcastically and heard chuckles around the table.

"Her brother was the problematic one," Angela ignored her, but when she looked in her daughter's eyes, she saw how much she didn't like the new topic. "But I can't really talk about it. Sherry has always been very protective of him."

"I didn't even know she had a brother," Provenza said in surprise. The rest of the squad members seemed just as confused as he was.

"He lives with us –"

"Mother…" Sharon glared at her mother, feeling the anger building up inside of her. Angela always knew exactly what buttons she had to push in order to get some real emotion from her daughter, and Sharon hated the fact that she found it hard to control herself around her.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56:**

"Thank you very much, Angela," Provenza smiled. He was the last one to exit the apartment.

"No, thank you," she said politely and he joined Flynn, who waited for him in the hallway, while the rest of the squad members went towards the elevator.

Sharon looked at him, trying to suppress the itching urge to pull him back inside the apartment and close the door on everyone else. "Goodbye," she said coldly to the both of them just before Angela closed the door and walked back to the kitchen. Sharon followed her and watched her mother for a moment as she started cleaning up.

"Mother, let me do it," she approached her and tried to take the plates off of Angela's hands, but she moved them away from Sharon's reach.

"No, no. It was my evening, so I should clean up," she picked up two glasses at once and headed for the sink.

"You're my guest," Sharon tried to convince her, but she laughed bitterly.

"Guest? I dropped in unannounced and had this dinner without your permission," Angela said.

"I didn't say you were a _good_ guest," Sharon said slowly and then cast a weary smile at her mother. "Go to sleep, seriously," she pulled her mother away from the sink gently and led her towards the corridor.

"Oh, alright. But if you get too tired, leave it for me and I'll do it in the morning," Angela said, although she knew that Sharon would never do that. "Good night."

"Good night," Sharon said just before Angela entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She sighed at the sight of the messy table she had to clear before taking some dishes in her hands and heading for the sink.

Outside the building, Flynn walked very slowly to his car. He waved goodbye to the others, and watched them getting into their cars. He pretended he was checking something on his iPhone, but his eyes moved away from the screen for split seconds, to see if everyone had gone already.

Last one to drive away was Provenza. He looked at Flynn from inside his car and shook his head just before he stepped on the gas and disappeared down the street.

Flynn looked around one last time while tucking the iPhone in his pocket, and when he saw that no one was there, he turned around and walked back to the entrance of the building. His heart was beating fast as he went up in the elevator. He feared that Sharon might not like his return, and tried to think of ways to convince her to let him in. When he stepped outside of the elevator, someone called his name and he turned to see who it was.

"Rusty. Going home?" he asked as the tired teenager approached him.

"Yeah… going to sleep. I think the pizza made me sick."

"You should have eaten Angela's food. She's a great cook," Flynn said as they walked side by side to Sharon's apartment.

"Remind me next time," Rusty said sarcastically and Flynn chuckled.

They were at the door when Flynn suddenly sent his arm forward and stopped Rusty from opening the door. "Hey, could you do me a favor?" he asked.

"What is it?"

"Could you let me in quietly?"

"Without Sharon noticing?" Rusty frowned.

"Yeah… I wanna surprise her," Flynn said, leaving out the possibility that she might be reluctant to have him there.

"Okay, I guess," Rusty muttered and used his key to open the door slowly. He peeked inside and saw that the dimly-lit living room was deserted, so he signalled to Flynn to follow him.

Flynn closed the door behind him as quietly as he could, and saw Rusty pointing at the kitchen. There were noises coming from that direction, and Flynn nodded at him to let him know he understood.

Rusty waved goodbye and walked to his room without making a sound. Flynn watched him until he disappeared from sight and then tiptoed quietly to the kitchen's entrance. He stood there for a few moments, just looking at Sharon. She was just putting dishes in the dishwasher when she noticed someone moving in the kitchen and looked up, expecting to see Rusty.

"Andy!" she whispered, and he could see she was surprised.

"Hey… sorry for sneaking up on you like that, but I knew you wouldn't let me in," he apologized as he approached her. She crossed her arms on her chest and leaned against the counter, apparently considering her words. Flynn felt like lifting her on that counter and acting on his desires, but he only stood there and waited for her response.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57:**

"You shouldn't be here," she said, but it was no surprise for him. He was standing now very close to her, gazing into her eyes.

"I miss you," he bent forward to kiss her but she stopped him with her hands on his chest, keeping his body a few inches away from her.

"I know, but… my mother…"

"Yeah," he sighed and took a step backwards. "Well, at least let me help you clean up. You look exhausted," he approached the sink, to Sharon's left, and took a plate in his hand. Sharon was standing right between him and the dishwasher and he pointed at it so she'll move.

"No, Andy, you were a guest here," she reached for the plate but he moved it away, just like Angela did a few minutes ago. "What is it with the guests in my house?" she said, more to herself than to him.

"I'm not just a guest, am I?" he said quietly, somewhat fearing her response. He didn't want her to say otherwise.

"I… I guess not," she frowned, looking down. The status of their relationship was never quite clear to her.

"Move, then," he sneaked a brief kiss on her lips, causing her to look at him again. She took a step to the side and watched him putting the plate neatly in the dishwasher.

Ten minutes later, the kitchen was back to its original state – squeakily clean. Sharon turned off the lights and walked to the couch, which was her temporary bed, and slumped onto it. Flynn followed and sat down next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned her head back on his chest. There was only one lamp on in the living room and the house was almost completely dark. Sharon had to make an effort not to doze off.

"What if we went to my place?" Flynn said suddenly, breaking the silence. "It's Saturday tomorrow."

"I can't just disappear on them," she muttered.

"Leave a note."

Sharon lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. She could tell he was being serious, and the fact that he wanted so much to be with her seemed so endearing. "I can't," she half whispered, and he nodded in disappointment. "But, I can come over tomorrow evening," she added quickly.

"Okay," he gave her a little smile and she leaned her head on his chest again, this time in a way she could see his face.

"Hey, what was that thing about your brother?" he asked suddenly and she froze for a moment.

"What thing?"

"Whatever your mother was trying to say about him. You never even mentioned anything about having a brother."

"I don't like to talk about him," her voice was quiet but firm.

"Oh… alright," he muttered in disappointment. She knew he was curious, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about it with him yet. For a while, they just sat there in silence, each deep in thoughts. At one point, Sharon shut her eyes and felt Flynn breathing, his chest going up and down. The movement of his body was very relaxing for her. A fuzzy feeling took over her as the world dissolved and disappeared. In her dream, she was walking on a beach with Flynn, hand in hand, free of all worries and cares. She never had plans for after her retirement, but he slowly changed that in her. Sometimes she found herself daydreaming about what they could do once they're done with their careers.

(***)

"Did they sleep like that the whole night?" Rusty whispered to Angela. They were standing at the edge of the corridor, looking at Sharon and Flynn, who both fell asleep sitting on the couch.

"Probably," she said and took a step forward. "Alright, wake up!" her voice was loud enough to startle Sharon and Flynn.

Sharon looked around in confusion. It took her a few moments to realize it was morning. Her mother was looking at her with the tiniest smile on the corner of her mouth, and Sharon knew that she liked what she was seeing.

"Are you joining us for breakfast, Lieutenant?" Angela asked coldly.

"No," Sharon spoke before he had the chance to react, "he has to go." Flynn looked at her with a confused frown, but didn't want to contradict her.

"Yeah," he muttered and they both got on their feet.

"Fine. Rusty, come and help me while Sharon sees the Lieutenant off," Angela walked to the kitchen with Rusty behind her, and Sharon looked at Flynn uncomfortably for a moment before heading for the door. He followed her quietly but stopped in front of the door that she held open for him.

"Why are you kicking me out?" he whispered.

"I'm not… well, I am. But I don't want to give my mother another opportunity to embarrass me. It's her favorite sport," she rolled her eyes.

"Okay. But if you don't come by later like you said you would –"

"I will," she cut him off.

"I WILL kidnap you," he threatened her jokingly and she smiled before she looked around to make sure that no one was around.

"See you later," she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and he left the apartment, feeling her gaze on his back until he disappeared from sight.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58:**

Flynn stood hunched over in the kitchen and looked into the stove through its semi-transparent door. The lasagna he's been preparing was almost ready, and its wonderful smell spread around the house and gave it a cozy feeling, as if a nice, big family was living there. A knock on the door caused him to stand straight quickly and look around the kitchen to see that it wasn't messy. Only five minutes ago he finished cleaning up and it was important for him to have everything in order, knowing how pedantic Sharon was. He walked to the door once he decided that the kitchen was clean enough, and opened it to receive his guest.

"Welcome," he smiled as she walked in and started sniffing immediately.

"What's that smell?" she looked around, trying to figure it out.

"Lasagna."

"It smells amazing," she placed her purse on the armchair. "Wait, you cook?"

"When I have time," he signalled her with his hand to walk to the kitchen and then followed her, stopping right behind her when she stood on the threshold and looked around. The table was set for two, and a white candle stood in the middle of it.

"I had no idea," Sharon muttered, astounded. She turned around and looked at Flynn, looking concerned. "There's so much I don't know about you."

"Well, we prefer spending our time on… other things," he had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he said it.

"Andy…" she gave him a look of reproach.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled. "You're free to ask me anything you want."

"And you promise to answer whatever it is?"

"Always. Even though…" he stopped in mid-sentence and Sharon frowned.

"Even though I don't tell you everything you want to know about me?" she asked, and he shrugged. "Okay… I'll do my best."

Flynn smiled and then led her to her seat. He took the lasagna out of the stove and put it on the table between their plates.

"It looks just as good as it smells," she smiled.

"Wait for the dessert," he said and placed a piece of lasagna on her plate.

"What did you make?" she asked curiously.

"It's a surprise. I'll only say that we can't eat it in the kitchen."

"What? Now I'm really intrigued. You have to tell me, I hate surprises."

"Don't worry. You'll love this one," he smiled at her. "By the way, I'm sorry that I can't offer you wine."

"Don't be silly, it's perfectly fine," she said gently. One of the things she wanted him to tell her about was his addiction, and she took a note in her mind to ask him later.

"I have other stuff, though. Lemon juice, orange juice, root beer, ice tea… you name it."

"I hope you didn't buy all of that for me," she said.

"Oh, no, I drink it all on a daily basis," he said sarcastically and they both smiled.

"I'll have the ice tea, please," she said politely and he got it from the refrigerator. After pouring two glasses of the chosen beverage he sat down and quickly put his hand on the back of her hand, which was resting on the table.

"First bite, let me." he took her fork and knife and cut a little piece of her lasagna. Sharon looked at him with intrigue as he brought the fork to her mouth slowly, and felt heat rising inside her body. She found him pretty arousing, but made an effort to look calm on the outside. Her mouth opened to let the fork in and then her lips closed on it. The whole time, she didn't stop gazing into his eyes.

Flynn was feeling the exact same thing as her. Her mouth closing slowly on that fork caused an awakening in his pants. She was chewing slowly, looking at him in the eyes, and he had to restrain himself.

"Amazing," she half-whispered after swallowing. "Where did you learn how to cook like that?"

"Uh…" he muttered, still thinking about the things he wanted to do to her. After a few seconds he shook his head and regained focus. "My mother. She loved to cook and I was the only one who inherited that quality from her." He took a bite from his own portion of lasagna and she took another bite from hers.

Sharon wanted to ask him more about his family, but didn't want to accidently bring up a painful subject and ruin the atmosphere, so she decided to ask him later. She took another bite and realized he was staring at her, mesmerized.

"Aren't you going to eat?" her tone was low and husky, and it seemed she had no real intention for him to eat. She removed the shoe from her right foot and rubbed it against his leg, moving it up slowly until reaching his crotch. Again, she didn't move her eyes from his eyes the whole time. When her foot came to a stop on the lump in his pants, she started moving her toes so they rubbed against him.

Flynn swallowed hard and looked at her, trying to decide if he should give in to his desire and take her to his bedroom now or be a gentleman and wait until they finish dinner.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59:**

Flynn decided to be a gentleman. It would be against his nature to just get up now and rush her to his bedroom, even though the idea was very enticing. He cut another piece of the lasagna in his plate and put it in his mouth.

Sharon examined him, feeling somewhat disappointed. She thought for a second he didn't want her, but when she tried to pull her leg back he grabbed it with his free hand and kept it in its place between his thighs. Sharon couldn't help but smile.

They took a few more bites in silence, until Flynn broke it.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you when you arrived," he said suddenly and she looked up from her plate. "I want you to have a key to my apartment."

"You do?" she asked in surprise. Exchanging keys was a big step for her, which she wasn't sure she wanted to take.

"Yeah. Remember the key Provenza returned? I gave it to him just in case anything happened to my set of keys, and I want you to have it now."

"To keep it for you?" she asked carefully.

"Well, yes… but also to use it when you come over. You don't have to knock."

"Oh," she looked down at her plate again, but didn't take another bite.

"You don't have to do the same," he said when he noticed her hesitation, and she looked back up quickly. "I know you don't live by yourself, and I don't intend to invade Rusty's privacy."

_Is he for real?_ Sharon wondered to herself while smiling at him. "Why didn't I meet you thirty years ago?" she asked him and he smiled too.

"The best was saved for last," he said jokingly and they continued to eat for some time, talking about casual things like the weather. All this time, Sharon's foot was resting on his crotch, and every little movement of hers made him very aware of that.

"Would you like some more?" he asked when she took her last bite and she shook her head.

"I'm full. But it was delicious, thank you." She smiled at him for a few moments until he bent forward and took her hand, pulling it gently to make her stand. She removed her foot from between his thighs and got up, allowing her body to be pulled closer to him. When her legs touched his legs he pulled her down to a sitting position on his lap.

"You're welcome," he said in almost a whisper just before bringing her lips to his lips with his hand on the back of her neck.

Sharon wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to that sensation he never failed to give her through his kisses and his hands. A sensation which made her believe for a moment that they were the only two people in the world. His hands moved slowly down her back until they came to a rest at the bottom and he separated his lips from hers.

"Are you ready for dessert?" he half-whispered and she gave him a little smile.

"I hope so," she said and he smiled back, watching her as she got up. She was wearing simple, black wide leg pants with a tucked in, white buttoned blouse. His eyes were focused for a second on her backside until she turned around to look at him and his gaze traveled slowly up her stomach. His eyes stayed for a moment on her breasts before they continued to move up and eventually met her eyes. She was looking at him patiently, trying not to smile in embarrassment while waiting for him to finish examining her.

"You look great," he said.

"Thank you," she said in her usual, unrevealing tone. At times, she wished she could feel more comfortable with expressing her emotions, but it was a very hard thing for her to do. The many times she was hurt in her life have taught her to hide her true feelings, so that no one would ever see her in a weak moment and take advantage of it to hurt her.

"So… how about that dessert?" she changed the subject back to food.

"Oh, yeah," Flynn got on his feet. "Wait for me in the living room and I'll bring it."

Sharon hesitated for a second but then did as he said. She walked to the couch and sat on it, trying to guess in her heart what the dessert might be. A few chocolate-included options popped in her mind, followed by the image of Brenda Leigh Johnson. Sharon smiled to herself, thinking that she will forever associate chocolate with Brenda.

Flynn's footsteps to her left made her look quickly to his direction. He was carrying a bit plate with wafer rolls on it, arranged in a form of a pyramid. When he sat down next to her and placed the plate on the coffee table, she could see that the rolls were filled with whipped cream, and their edges were decorated with chocolate.

"Oh… my god," she said slowly. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"You have the idea, yes," he chuckled and handed her a roll. "Try it."

Sharon gazed at the roll in his hand and then looked him in the eyes with hesitation. He brought the roll closer to her and she took it, trying to ignore the inner conflict that every woman had to deal with before eating something like that.

_Well, if he's making me eat that, I might as well play with him a little_, she thought to herself and gave him a mischievous smile.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60:**

Sharon examined the wafer roll for a second. It was short, but wide enough for one of her fingers to go through, so she dipped her forefinger in the cream and then brought it closer to her face. Flynn watched her with interest as she put the finger in her mouth and closed her lips on it. When she pulled it out slowly, he clenched his fists in attempt to restrain himself. He suddenly wanted to skip dessert, but he also wanted to watch the little tempting show.

"Mmm…" she moaned and licked her lips, "this is great. You made that too?"

Flynn nodded but didn't say a word. He was too mesmerized to utter anything.

"Wow," she said, dipping her forefinger in the cream again and bringing it to her mouth, but this time without closing it. Flynn swallowed hard as he watched the cream being transferred from her finger to her tongue. It was one of the sexiest things he's ever seen. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she stopped him with her hand on his chest and pushed him backwards gently. There was a naughty little smile on her face when she took a bite from the roll while lifting her right leg and placing it between his legs, so that she was half-lying on him. Her face was closer to his face now, and Flynn felt like he was about to lose control over his body.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked and he shook his head, still unable to speak. "Here," her hand came closer to his mouth and he opened it absent-mindedly, allowing her to feed him with the roll. He took a bite without even paying attention to the taste, his eyes gazing deeply into hers.

"Oh, you've got some crumbs here," she pointed at the corner of his mouth and before he could react, she put her lips on it. Flynn moved his head a little in her direction, so that her lips were not just on the corner of his mouth anymore. She finally gave in to him and let him kiss her, the sweet taste of the roll mixing between their tongues.

"It's been too long," he muttered while kissing her.

"Just about a week," she said lightly, although she missed being with him just as much as he missed being with her.

"Nine days," he corrected her and she chuckled.

"How nice of you to keep track," she smiled. He stopped the kiss and she felt his fingers unbuttoning her blouse.

"It's been even longer since I was inside you," he almost whispered. "I mean, the previous time was great, when we thought it was our last, but –"

"Shhh…" Sharon put her finger on his lips to get him to stop talking. "Be quiet and do whatever you want."

Flynn smiled at the free pass and removed her blouse, leaving her with her white laced bra. A few minutes later, when he slid inside her, Sharon closed her eyes and felt like everything was finally okay again. For a while, she forgot about all of her problems and just focused on that man moving on top of her. She had no idea how he managed to do what other men in her past failed to do – make her feel secure – but she loved that feeling.

Her hands moved to his upper back and she felt his sweat from the physical effort, as he was doing most of the job. With every thrust of his, she came closer and closer to climaxing under him, and he was aware of it, enjoying it. His lips were on her neck when she felt it coming and yelled his name, almost involuntarily.

* * *

Sharon was lying on the couch under a thin blanket that was folded on the edge of the couch for when Flynn falls asleep watching TV. He rushed to the kitchen after she mentioned she was thirsty, and came back with a glass of water. She moved a little to the edge of the couch and leaned on her elbow to drink while he joined her under the blanket in the little space between her back and the backrest.

"Thanks," she said quietly, placing the glass on the coffee table. He put one arm on her waist and the other on the couch to support her head just a second before she lied on her back again.

"How long can you stay?" he asked and placed a little kiss under her ear.

"Not too long," she sighed.

"But it's Sunday tomorrow."

"I know, but I can't leave Rusty with my mother. It's irresponsible. Besides, we spend Sundays together usually, and I'm sure my children will join us, since Chris isn't staying for long."

"Oh, well… children are always first priority," he said in a defeated tone.

"Speaking of children… why do you never mention yours?" she asked gently. "All I know is that you have three sons."

"We're…" he started but then paused, looking for the right word, "estranged."

"Why?"

"Uh…" he said and she could hear in his tone that he really didn't want to talk about it.

"You said I could ask you anything."

"I know, I know," he cleared his throat. "They never forgave me for breaking the family apart with my addiction."

"So you never see them?"

"On holidays. Sometimes," he muttered. "Just yesterday I thought about inviting my oldest son, Eric, for a weekend. He's the closest one, lives with his wife in San Diego."

"Where are the other two?"

"One followed a job to NYC and the other followed a woman to Miami."

Sharon kept quiet for a few moments, feeling sorry for him. "You should invite your son, even if he refuses. At least he'll know that you want to see him," she tried to encourage him.

"Yeah, I will," he said and decided to call him first thing in the morning. "Hey, remember what you said about doing your best to answer _my_ questions?"

"Oh, no. I did say that, didn't I?" she said monotonically and he chuckled. "Fine… ask away."

"You don't have to, obviously, but…"

"What?" she frowned.

"I'd like to know about your brother," he said carefully, hoping he wasn't upsetting her.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61:**

"Oh," Sharon said shortly and for a moment she didn't say anything else. Flynn watched her, leaning on his elbow and waiting for her to decide whether she wanted to answer him or not.

"You know what? Forget about it, it's okay," he said eventually in a gentle voice.

"No, it's fine. He's got Asperger syndrome," she said at once, and Flynn noticed a sudden sadness in her eyes.

"That's it?" he asked in confusion.

"What do you mean 'that's it'?" she squinted at him.

"You were so secretive about it, I thought he murdered someone or something," Flynn said lightly.

Sharon examined his face for a moment, frowning. His reaction baffled her. She expected pity or rejection, like she was used to whenever people found out.

"I wasn't secretive about it, I just don't like to talk about him," she said finally.

"Why not? Are you ashamed of him?"

"No!" she said firmly. "I guess I always feel the need to protect him. He suffered a lot in his life."

Flynn looked down at her, thinking about what she had just said. Her head was still resting on his arm and her sad, green eyes were mostly fixed on the ceiling, occasionally landing on his face as she talked. He moved just a few inches towards her and his lips touched her cheek for a brief kiss. She looked at him and smiled.

"So, where is he now?" he asked.

"Living with my parents. He fixes watches in a store that belongs to my father's friend."

"Has he ever lived on his own?"

"No, my parents always preferred having him with them, but I'm pretty sure he _could_ live on his own."

"Why don't you invite him over once?" he suggested. She looked at him quickly, shaking her head, and he rolled his eyes in response. "Why not? What's his name, anyway?"

"Sean, and I don't know, I'll think about it."

"Sharon and Sean… yeah, I can imagine you two as kids walking back from school with your heavy backpacks," he said and Sharon chuckled.

"More like me picking him up from school. There's a big age difference between us, ten years."

"Really? Why?"

"My mother couldn't get pregnant for a long time after she had me," she looked at the clock hanging on the wall to her right and her eyes widened in shock. "I have to go," she sat up, holding the blanket against her chest. Flynn moved his hand down her bare back, causing her to jump a little.

"Already?" he asked and she nodded.

"It's almost 9pm. I don't want to leave Rusty alone with my mother for too long," she picked up her underwear from the floor and put them on quickly as she got up to collect her bra from the armchair. Flynn watched her as she put it on and looked at him.

"Are you enjoying the show?" she asked coldly.

"Very," he smiled, "but I'd enjoy it more if you were taking your clothes _off_."

"Well…" she put her pants on and then started to button her blouse just as he got up and approached her. He took the edges of the blouse in his hands and she let go, watching him dealing with the buttons for her.

"Do you realize we only spent one whole night together?" he asked quietly.

"We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we started this… affair," she said. "I have responsibilities, and –"

"I know, it's okay. I just wish we could spend more time together," he let go of her shirt, leaving enough buttons untouched so she had a deep cleavage. "There."

"Ha ha," she said monotonically and finished with the last buttons as he smiled at her. While she put her shoes on, he quickly wore his pants and shirt, but didn't bother to zip and button. Sharon looked up when she finished with her shoes and smile at the sloppy sight of him. Eventually they walked to the door, and Flynn grabbed her arm and turned her to him just before she opened it.

"Sharon…" he half-whispered gently, and his unambiguous tone told her exactly what was coming.

"Andy… don't."

"I love you," he said and she dropped her forehead to his chest in frustration. His body heat was comforting as always and she felt reluctant to move. "Why the hell is it so hard for you?" he asked and wrapped his arms around her. By now, he was used to her almost-inability to say those three words.

"I don't know…" she muttered, her voice muffled by his body. After a few seconds she lifted her head from his chest and looked at him. "You're supposed to be a cynical person, not a… care-bear," she said desperately and he laughed.

"Can't I be both?" he asked just as they heard a ring from her purse and she inserted her hand inside it to search for her iPhone.

"Damn it, it's my mother," she said with her eyes on the little screen. "I hope everything's okay."


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62:**

"Mother," Sharon answered the call and Flynn watched her, waiting to hear what was going on.

"Sherry, are you still at his house?" Angela asked.

"I was just about to head out."

"Well, don't, then," Angela said coldly. "Rusty's little friend called and invited him for a sleepover. I authorized it."

"_You_ authorized it? What about asking me?" Sharon asked with indignant in her voice.

"Dear, need I remind you that I am your mother? When I'm around, you do as I say," Angela's voice remained calm and it annoyed Sharon even more.

"Mother…" she sighed. "Fine, he can go."

"Good girl."

"So I'll come back to be with _you_," Sharon said.

"You don't really want to do that, don't you?"

"I…" Sharon stuttered. Sometimes her mother was so straightforward that it surprised her.

"Yes, I remember what it's like, a new romance. How exciting. I love your father very much but there's no passion anymore, we hardly ever –"

"Oh, god, Angela!" Sharon raised her voice and Flynn arched his eyebrows in surprise. She was usually so level-headed, he never witnessed her yelling.

"What?" Angela asked calmly.

"I don't need to know… _that_."

"Oh, alright. But don't come back, because I'm going to meet with my friend, Maggie. Remember her?"

"Maggie? Yes. I didn't know she was back in LA."

"She moved back here a few months ago. Anyway, I'll probably be home late and go straight to bed, so there's no need for you to come back."

"Oh… okay, I guess," Sharon said hesitantly. "Tell Rusty to call me tomorrow when he wants to come back home."

"Don't worry about it; Cat will take care of that. Goodbye, dear," Angela hung up without waiting for Sharon to also say goodbye.

"What's going on?" Flynn asked, frowning.

"Um…" Sharon muttered absent-mindedly, still digesting that phone call. Conversations with her mother always dizzied her. "Rusty's going to sleep at a friend's house and my mother is going to meet with a friend of hers."

"So…" he said carefully, afraid to get disappointed.

"So… I guess I can stay," she said quietly and he smiled.

"Good," he followed her back to the living room, "so maybe now you can do that show again, this time the way I like it," he said as he hugged her from behind.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said jokingly, knowing perfectly well that he meant for her to take her clothes off again.

"I can show you," he said and reached for the first button of her blouse, but she moved forward, out of his arms and onto the couch.

"Let's just sit here," she crossed her legs and looked up at him.

"Okay…" he sat down next to her but didn't touch her, even though he found it difficult to do.

Sharon knew she was looking at him invitingly, but didn't mean for anything sexual to happen at the moment. She just enjoyed torturing him a little.

"So we're just… sitting here?" he asked and she smiled.

"Tell me something," she said and put her hand on his knee.

"Like what?"

"Anything about you."

"I don't know what to tell you. Just ask me what you want to know."

"Well…" she hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should bring up the subject. "Tell me about your addiction," she was afraid to hurt him, and her voice was low and soft.

Flynn stared at her for some time, trying to decide whether to cooperate or not. "I'm not sure I should be telling you anything about it," he said eventually.

"Why not? You can't scare me," she smiled at him bitterly and gave his knee a little squeeze.

"I'm not so sure," he scoffed. "I have some dark stories about those days."

She looked at him with anticipation and he could tell she wasn't going to let go of the subject.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63:**

Flynn looked at Sharon to examine her reaction, but her face was sealed as always. He understood from her silence that she wanted him to go ahead and tell her whatever it is.

"Okay…" he said slowly, trying to select the words in his mind before verbalizing them. "I'll make it short. This one night I got a DUI. The next day I was told that if I didn't go to rehab, I'd lose my job. So what did I do? I went to a bar, of course," he paused for a second, but Sharon's face still didn't change. "That night I wasn't completely wasted, because there was this big robbery in some rich family's house, and I was called in, so I didn't have too much time to drink. Anyway, on my way there I… I stopped at a red light but there was no one around and I needed to get to that crime scene… so I started driving before the lights changed and, uh… I hit a girl."

"Oh, god," Sharon whispered, but her hand didn't move from his knee.

"A teenager. Nothing happened to her, because I was just starting to drive so the car was moving very slow, but she got really scared. She just ran off."

"So what did you do?"

"I couldn't catch her, but after that night I didn't need to be threatened with losing my job. I checked myself into rehab. The fact that I was too drunk to see her crossing the street terrified me."

"And how did your family react to that?"

"I never told them. Only my previous partner and Provenza know that story. By the time that it happened I'd already lost my wife, and my kids were mad at me." He looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

"So you couldn't tell them. It must've been horrible, keeping something like that from your family."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to give them another reason to stay away from me," he looked up again and frowned at her. "I'm surprised _you're_ still here," he said sarcastically.

"Don't be ridiculous, you're not the same person you were when you were drinking," her voice was soft, almost caressing, and Flynn had a sudden thought about the ocean.

"I wish my kids would agree with you on that," he said sadly.

Sharon put her arm around his neck in a consoling half-hug, leaning her head on the edge of his shoulder. They sat in silence for a short while until Flynn suggested they watched a movie and they turned on the TV.

(***)

Sharon waited under the covers, looking around the bedroom absent-mindedly, while Flynn was getting ready for bed in the bathroom. The organization of the room was consistent with the rest of the house: it was just as clean and tidy, and Sharon loved it. Every item in the room was in its place and it made her feel peaceful. She smiled at Flynn when he got out of the bathroom and walked to his side of the bed.

"I'm so tired," she muttered, rubbing her eyes as he got under the covers and leaned on his elbow next to her.

"Yeah. It's because of that movie. It was so bad," he chuckled. "Remind me why we watched the whole damn thing?"

"I don't know," she said without admitting that she just enjoyed sitting in his arms for an hour and a half.

"Hey, I was thinking about your 'I love you' problem," he said suddenly.

"My what?"

"You know, why it's so hard for you to say it."

"Oh… and? Did you reach any conclusions?"

"I think you have negative connotation for that phrase. I mean, you went through a rough patch with Richard, and maybe even before him. I don't know because you didn't tell me much…" he paused for a second to put an emphasis on the fact that she refused to talk about some aspects of her past. "Anyway, you have some bad experience with love, so you prefer not saying it at all. Right? You're kind of afraid of love."

Sharon looked at him for a few seconds and then dropped her gaze. She tried to decide if he was right or not, thinking about her love life in the past.

"Did I make you sad?" he asked.

"No…" she muttered.

"I'm an idiot."

She tried to smile but it only made her look sadder. "It's just the thought of it is really sad… to be afraid of love," she said bitterly, and Flynn felt like someone was crushing his heart.

"Yeah, but you can let go of that fear now," he gave her a little smile, but her face remained serious.

"The thing is..." she said slowly, "you never know in life. Anything can happen and it messes up your plans and crushes your aspirations."

"Or... things turn out better than you expected," he said gently and she frowned at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Sometimes your optimism surprises me. Why aren't you like that at work?"

"I can't," he said in a fake seriousness, as if the mere thought of being optimistic hurt him. "It only comes out at night."


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64:**

Sharon woke up early on Sunday morning and left Flynn's house while he was still sleeping. A note was waiting for him in the kitchen explaining that she left early since her mother was leaving the next day and she didn't get to spend much time with her.

When she entered her apartment there were noises coming from the kitchen and she headed there right away. Rusty was standing next to the stove and making breakfast. He didn't seem to notice her until she walked towards him and he heard her heels knocking on the floor.

"Hey, Sharon. I didn't think you'd be home so early," he sounded surprised.

"What are you doing here? I thought you slept at your friend's house."

"I…" he stuttered and Sharon frowned.

"Rusty, I want you to know that I can tell when people lie to me," she took another step towards him and squinted. The look of her made Rusty feel like he was being interrogated in a dark, cold room.

"Angela lied to you," he said hesitantly.

"You didn't go?" she asked and he shook his head. "And I'm assuming she didn't go either?" this time he nodded.

"She said you needed some time for yourself."

Sharon sighed and leaned against the counter, suddenly wishing it was Monday already. After a few seconds of pondering in silence what and how to say to her mother while Rusty resumed cooking, she stood straight and asked if she could help him with anything. Eventually, she decided to wait with the conversation until she could be alone with Angela.

Later that day, the whole family went to a friend of Angela's, the same one that she told Sharon she was going to meet the previous night. She claimed that she didn't lie about it, but just twisted the truth a little, since she _was_ invited for Sunday. That friend lived in a big mansion in Beverly Hills and they spent most of the day there, after she refused to take no for an answer when she invited them for dinner.

(***)

On Monday, the squad members and Hobbs were having trouble with getting a search warrant for the warehouse that Reyes told Sharon about. The judge wanted to know who the informant was, and when Sharon refused to give Reyes away, he said he needed time to consider the request.

They were all in the murder room, waiting to hear from Hobbs, when a tall man in a business suit entered.

"Sharon Raydor?" he called out to everyone in the room and looked at the only two women in there, to see who's responding.

"Yes?" she said with a suspicious frown and walked towards him. He did the same and met her in the middle of the room.

"I'm George Barry, your late husband's lawyer," he offered her his hand to shake and she took it, still hesitating.

"Nice to meet you, but…" she didn't want to ask what he was doing there and be rude, so she stopped in midsentence.

"But what am I doing here?" he smiled and laid his briefcase on the nearest table, which was Sykes'. He took a document out of it and handed it to Sharon. "I'm here to inform you that you are the sole heir to Richard's fortune."

Everyone looked at him in shock, including Sharon. The room was completely silent for a few moments, until she could speak again.

"There must be a mistake here," her voice was quiet as she took the document in her hand and started reading it.

"No. Richard once had a will, but I guess he changed his mind, because a few weeks ago he took it from my office and never returned it. I couldn't find it anywhere. So, without a written will, you automatically become the heir."

"No, my children are," she said calmly. "I'm not interested in his money."

"Look," Barry said, closing his briefcase, "what you do with the money is your decision, but you have to officially accept it if you want to give it to your children. Otherwise, Richard's family can claim it. Everything you need to know it written in this document," he pointed at the paper she was still holding.

"Okay, thank you," she nodded, still confused. Something about this lawyer didn't add up, but she didn't have time to investigate at the moment, so she decided to take care of it later.

"Have a good day now," he smiled and retraced his steps back to the exit.

"Wow, that's weird," Sykes said slowly.

"And also none of your business," Provenza said from behind the newspaper he was pretending to read while listening to what was going on.

Sharon didn't say a word to either of them. Instead, she went to her office and closed the door behind her so she could call her mother and tell her what had just happened.

Angela promised to find a good lawyer for Sharon before she left, and in return Sharon had to promise her that she will come back early to see her off.

An hour later, they finally got that warrant they were waiting for. Along with the FBI they arranged a team of policemen and agents to go over there, in hope of finally finding evidence that will lead to arresting the cartel heads. Sharon and Provenza took a ride with Flynn in his car, while Sanchez, Sykes and Buzz went with Tao. Provenza sat in the back after receiving some warning looks from Flynn when he approached the passenger side and intended to leave Sharon sitting in the back.

Flynn parked across the street from the warehouse and turned the car off. "Sharon…" he said hesitantly and she looked at him with interest.

"Yes?" she asked when he didn't continue.

"I want you to stay here," he said finally, somewhat afraid of her reaction. He wasn't being a chauvinist, but he was truly scared for her life. She didn't spend years in homicide or other divisions that would have prepared her for something like that, and never dealt with operations this big.

"Excuse me?" she asked in disbelief.

"For god's sake," Provenza muttered in the back, rolling his eyes.

"It's too dangerous. Have you ever participated in something like that?" he asked, although he knew the answer. "There's a huge difference between investigating officer-involved shootings and taking part in operations like that, with real bad guys."

"But she wore comfortable clothes," Provenza said sarcastically, referring to Sharon's t-shirt and snickers, which she wore especially for the occasion.

"Andy, I… I understand what you're saying, but –"

"Oh, just humor him already and stay here," Provenza said grumpily and opened the door to get out. "What will he ever do without you if something should happen to you?" he asked, once again being sarcastic, and got out with a slam of the door.

Sharon sighed and looked at the warehouse through the windshield. She knew that Flynn was right, but she didn't like admitting it.

"So? Will you wait here?" he asked in a begging tone.

"Alright, fine. But if you go inside and there's nothing dangerous, you call me right away."

"Of course," he looked around and saw the squad and the FBI agents getting ready outside their white vans. There were too many people around to kiss her, so he gave her a little smile and got out of the car too.

She watched him approaching the rest and joining them in wearing vests and checking their weapons. A minute later they were all passing through the gate and heading inside. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt the fear creeping in her stomach. She wasn't sure that staying there and not knowing what was going on there was better for her nerves. A few seconds after the last guy had passed through the gate, she couldn't see anyone of them anymore. The street was no longer filled with agents and policemen, and once again it looked like just an ordinary, boring street with not much traffic in it.

A sudden noise startled her when the door on her side opened and someone pulled her aggressively out of the car while she felt her gun being taken out of its holster. When she was on her feet, she managed to take a look at her assailant and recognized Nicolas Suarez, one of the cartel heads she had interrogated a few days ago at the station.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65:**

"Move, bitch," he was pointing another gun to her head and dragging her across the street, to a warehouse that was right next to the one being searched by her squad.

"What are you doing?" she asked, terrified.

"Shut up," he said as they passed the gate and headed on the path to the entrance. He kicked the door open and pushed her inside the dimly-lit warehouse. "Move over here," he pointed his gun to some steel shelves that were standing against the wall to her right. "Now!" he yelled when she didn't move and sent his hand with the gun to her face. The blow was so hard it made her fall to the floor. He watched her as she crawled on her knees slowly to the shelves and sat with her back to them. The side of her head was throbbing, and with a slight touch of her fingers she felt blood.

When she looked around the fairly small warehouse, she saw that there were steel shelves on all the walls. There were guns and rifles on them and some sealed packages which Sharon was sure contained drugs. On the floor all over the room stood many cardboard boxes with more of the same stuff in them.

"Suarez, right?" she broke the silence, looking up to see his face, but he didn't answer. "Where's your friend, Garcia?"

He smiled for a moment before talking. "He has a surprise for your friends in the other warehouse. Luckily, we heard about an hour ago that you were coming, so we had a little time to prepare something for you."

"What's in there?" she made an effort to control her voice and prevent it from sounding shaky.

"Girls, lots of them. We would have moved them, but as I mentioned, we only had a one-hour-notice."

"And this is all yours too?" she motioned the room in general.

"Of course, and if everything goes as planned, it will remain ours."

"What are you going to do with me?"

"We're gonna use you as our ticket out of here. And no more questions."

Sharon knew that if he manages to take her with them when they escape, she won't live to see another day. She looked up again and saw that he was checking something on the shelf. His own gun was resting on it right next to him, and her gun was in his hand.

Without thinking twice she jumped and put her weight on him, causing him to fall on his back and send the gun sliding on the floor across the room. She got up quickly and ran towards the gun but Suarez did the same and they both jumped on it together, falling to the floor. Sharon was the first to put her hands on it, but Suarez turned her on her back and tried to get it out of her grip as he got on his feet. She held the gun as tight as she could, knowing that her life depended on it. Suarez pulled the gun aggressively but since she wouldn't let go, he lifted her on her feet in his attempt to take it from her.

Once again relying on her instincts, Sharon sent her foot to his crutch and kicked as hard as she could. Suarez flinched in pain and let go of her hands. Sharon took advantage of that second of freedom and made a run for it. She heard Suarez behind her but didn't want to look back and slow herself down. When she opened the door, the bright daylight hit her face and she kept on running towards the gate, blessing the moment she had decided to change from heels to snickers.

A few yards from the gate she felt something big under her foot and the next thing she saw was the ground after she fell flat on her stomach. She tried to get up but heard Suarez right behind her.

"Stay down. You're dead," he said. Sharon looked at him and saw that he was pointing his gun at her. She knew he'd kill her for sure if he tried to shoot, being so close to her. He started walking towards her and she pointed her gun at him in a matter of seconds. Her finger, as if acting on its own, pulled the trigger twice, and two bullets pierced his chest before she realized what she was doing. He looked at her with a shocked expression on his face just before he collapsed, as if he couldn't believe she had managed to hit him right in the heart from the position she was in – lying on the ground.

"Shots fired!" she heard someone calling from the street and seconds later, a few people ran through the gate while she heard ambulances in the distance.

"Captain!" Flynn ran towards her, followed by Tao, and they bent down to check if she was okay. "Are you hurt?!" he took the gun from her hands carefully.

"No, I'm fine, I think," she muttered in confusion.

"Your head is bleeding. Can you stand?" Tao asked and she nodded. They helped her up gently and she saw Sanchez checking the body, that a few seconds ago was alive and almost killed her.

"Is he… dead?" she asked anxiously.

Sanchez looked at her and nodded. "I'm afraid so, Captain."

"Come on, a paramedic should take a look at you," Flynn supported her back with his hand and started walking to the gate.

"This is bad," she said when they were out of earshot.

"What do you mean? He was about to shoot you, right?" he asked as he held the gate for her and she walked through it.

"Yes, but I'm going to get suspended for a few days until they finish investigating."

"Well, then, me too."

"What?" she froze on the pavement. There were two ambulances a few steps away from them and she felt like she needed to sit down, but Flynn's words surprised her.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66:**

"What happened in there?" she asked.

"We entered the place and it was barely lit. There were mattresses and drugged up women lying on them all over the room, so we walked in towards them and about six or seven people started shooting at us from dark corners. In short, we fired back and killed three of them. The rest got injured or surrendered. Garcia got a bullet to the shoulder but he'll survive, unfortunately."

"He risked his own life?" Sharon asked in surprise.

"I guess he was pretty desperate," he said and put his hand on Sharon's back again so she'd resume walking towards the ambulance. "But, anyway, one of my bullets killed one of his men. That's why I'll get suspended too."

"Who killed the other two?"

"The FBI."

"Good, so at least no one else from Major Crimes will get suspended. What about our men? Anyone injured?" she asked as he helped her sit on the edge of the ambulance.

"An FBI agent was killed. He was the first one to get shot," Flynn said gloomily.

"My god," Sharon said quietly and shook her head.

"A few more were injured, but nothing serious. Agent Howard got a bullet to the leg."

"What?!" she got up quickly but her head started spinning right away and she sat back down with his help.

"He'll be fine. He's already on the way to the hospital with Blackburn," his hand was on her shoulder but he lifted it quickly once the paramedic approached them. Flynn moved aside and watched him in silence as he examined Sharon for a few minutes.

"I believe you have nothing but a minor concussion. If you rest today you should be fine tomorrow. You might feel slight nauseas, dizziness and fatigue, but it's completely normal," the paramedic explained as he cleaned her wound and put a small bandage on it.

"Thank you," she gave him a little smile and got up slowly.

Flynn came to her side and supported her body again. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"No, we have to wait here for FID. And then I want to go to the hospital and see how the injured ones are doing, especially Agent Howard," she said and started walking towards some FBI agents in order to hear what happened from their point of view – an old habit from her days in FID.

"The paramedic just said you have to rest today," Flynn tried to convince her, but he knew it was in vain.

(***)

A while later, after the FID detectives finished interrogating them, Flynn drove with Sharon and Provenza to the hospital. They walked quickly along the corridors of the big building, until they saw from a distance several FBI agents standing together outside a room, and hurried towards them.

"Agent Blackburn," Sharon said and he turned around to see her. "How's Agent Howard?"

"He just got out of surgery. The bullet's out and he's going to be okay. I see you all are okay too," he said, his eyes moving from Sharon to Flynn and Provenza, and then back to her.

"We're fine," Provenza said grumpily. He never made an effort to hide his dislike towards Blackburn. "So Agent Howard is in recovery?"

"Yes, no one can see him yet."

"Thank you," Sharon said politely.

"I hope you were comfortable in the car while we were inside getting shot at," Blackburn said to her bitterly.

"Excuse me?" she felt the rage boiling inside of her. After what she went through with Suarez, she really didn't need to hear that.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Flynn took a step forward in anger but Sharon stopped him with her hand.

"Listen, Agent _Blackbird_," Provenza said slowly and emphasized the incorrect name to annoy him, "you left in the ambulance with Agent Howard before you had a chance to find out, but Captain Raydor took out Nicolas Suarez all by herself and revealed another warehouse, so do yourself a favor and crawl back to the hole where you came from."

Sharon realized she wasn't breathing while he spoke. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Provenza defending her? She glanced at Flynn and saw his eyebrows were arched in surprise.

"Oh… really?" Blackburn said, embarrassed. "But, still –"

"We are here to check on Agent Howard, if you don't mind," Sharon cut him off rudely. It wasn't like her, but her near-death experience took all of the patience she usually had.

"Sharon, thank you for coming," a familiar woman's voice said to her right and Sharon looked quickly to see who it was.

"Chief Johnson," she half-whispered in awe at the sight of the thin, blonde woman, who was smiling at her bitterly with sadness in her eyes.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67:**

Sharon looked around and realized they were surrounded by men. Weary warriors who just came back from a war and had no idea how to support someone who needed it.

"How are you?" Brenda asked tiredly.

"I'm fine, but you sure look like you could use a hot beverage. How about tea?" Sharon asked and Brenda nodded quickly, apparently craving for a moment of quiet.

"Captain, you really should be going home. You need to rest," Flynn said, but Sharon had already started walking with Brenda towards the cafeteria, trying to ignor a splitting headache that started when she was talking to Blackburn.

A few minutes later, they were sitting at a small table with two cups of boiling tea. Brenda was holding her cup with both hands and staring at the steams. Sharon watched her carefully, not sure of what to say to her, until she looked up and gazed in her eyes.

"Thank you, Sharon. They were starting to drive me crazy over there," Brenda said in her southern accent and Sharon gave her an empathetic smile.

"It's so funny," Sharon chuckled, "but I can't bring myself to call you by your name. I'm not used to anything but Chief Johnson."

"Oh, please don't call me that," Brenda said jokingly and shook her head.

Sharon smiled at her for a few moments and then asked, "how's the new job?"

"Interesting. It's nothing like catching the bad guys, but…" Brenda stopped in midsentence.

"But helping to convict them is just as important," Sharon said in low voice that made her sound dramatic, and Brenda nodded.

"So…" she said after a few seconds of silence.

"So?" Sharon asked and took a sip from her tea.

"Are you and Andy still hot and heavy?" Brenda asked. Sharon choked and started coughing. Brenda watched her for a few moments, trying not to chuckle and wondering if she should pat her on the back, until she eventually stopped coughing.

"What?" Sharon's voice was hoarse when she could finally speak again.

"Oh, don't worry, your secret's safe with us," Brenda said calmly and sipped from her tea.

"Us?"

"Us – Fritz and I… and the FBI."

"What? How? Why?" Sharon was too shocked to be coherent.

"Surely you know that they have followed you several times?"

"I…"

"Well, they found out about you two. But don't worry, it's only three people including Fritz, and he convinced the other two that they had no business in reporting you to your bosses."

Sharon's mind went blank. All she could feel at the moment was her fear of being discovered. In her mind she could see herself in Taylor's office, sitting sadly across the table as he was firing her.

"Seriously, Sharon. They've known for months now. If nothing happened yet…"

"Months?!" her heart skipped a beat. All this time she was sure they had it all figured out, and now she finds out it was nothing but a false sense of control.

"Oh, you two should come for dinner," Brenda tried to turn the subject on its brighter side.

"W… what?" Sharon stuttered, once again in shock. She never thought that Brenda will someday be her friend outside of work. Most of the time she felt like a high school student who was trying to be liked by the queen bee, but she always just admired her from afar.

"Yes! I have much more free time on my hands now, it'd be great!" Brenda smiled and took another sip from her tea.

"Yes, great," Sharon muttered. She wasn't sure how a dinner with just the four of them would be, or if Brenda and her could really be friends.

"Well, I'd better get back there, for when he comes out of recovery," Brenda said while getting on her feet.

They walked back to the flock of men waiting in the corridor and Flynn came towards them, meeting them half way – far enough to whisper to Sharon without being heard by the rest.

"We should go before Provenza and Blackburn kill each other."

"Um…" Sharon said and looked at Brenda hesitantly.

"It's fine, you won't be able to see Fritz today anyway. Thank you for coming," she smiled at them and resumed walking. Flynn turned around and signalled Provenza to come with them.

"Finally. I can't stand to see his face anymore," Provenza said grumpily as they walked to the elevators.

"What did you two talk about?" Flynn asked Sharon.

"She invited us for dinner," she said and Flynn froze on the spot in shock.


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68:**

"Did I tell you I called my son?" Flynn asked when the three of them were in his car, on the way home. Provenza was sitting in the back again, tired, and listened to their conversation quietly.

"Really?" she looked at Flynn with interest and waited to hear more.

"Yesterday. I invited him for the weekend in two weeks and he said yes right away."

"That's great! Isn't it?" she asked when his face remained serious.

"I don't know. It's kinda weird that he just agreed right away. I think there might be something wrong with him."

"Well, then, it's good that he's coming so you can figure it out," she said and he placed his hand on her thigh, thanking her without words for being supportive.

"What is this conversation? Weren't you almost killed not too long ago?" Provenza asked suddenly, rolling his eyes. He was used to Flynn telling _him_ all of his personal issues, and now he was being replaced. Hearing them talk annoyed him.

"We were trying to talk about anything but that, thank you for reminding me," she replied coldly and he couldn't help but feel bad for her, although he didn't say it out loud.

"What did your friends from FID say?" he asked in a less stern tone.

"I'm suspended, just as I thought," she shook head sadly.

"Yeah, me too," Flynn said. The three of them kept quiet for a moment. The events in the warehouse played in Sharon's mind like a bad horror movie. She kept seeing Suarez hitting her, pointing his gun at her or chasing to kill her.

Provenza looked through the window at the darkness outside and wondered how he could handle the Major Crimes unit without the Captain and his partner. He would never admit it, but they made it so much easier for him at work. Sharon with her strong leadership, obeying the rules and keeping the unit out of trouble, and Flynn with his experience and friendship.

"So, I guess you take the lead now," Flynn said suddenly, as if he could read Provenza's mind.

"Huh?" he asked, surprised, and Sharon turned her head to looked at him.

"You're the boss while I'm gone," she frowned at his confused face. Up until now, she was sure it was all he could think of, but now it seemed to have taken him by surprise.

"Oh, right. Yay for me," he said without really sounding happy.

(***)

"You can go home, you know," Sharon said to Flynn as they were standing outside her apartment. "I'm sure you want to take a shower and rest after this long day."

"It's only 7pm," he smiled.

"Yes, but a lot has happened in a short amount of time," she said and his face turned serious again.

"I want to see to it that you're fine before I can even think of resting," he caressed her shoulder and she turned to the door to open it.

"I don't know why you're so good to me," she muttered while inserting the key into the lock.

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"I didn't hear you."

"Never mind," she opened the door and entered, followed by him. They walked to the kitchen and found Rusty sitting at the table with Cat, Chris, Julia and Angela. Sharon's eyes widened in shock for a second at the sight of them all. She wasn't expecting to find them there, especially not Angela.

"Mother, what are you still doing here?" she asked, approaching her. Flynn remained on the threshold and watched them in silence, trying not to interrupt.

"Did you really think that after the text you sent me I could leave without seeing you first?" she got up and examined Sharon's wounded head, moving it to the side by holding her chin so she could take a better look.

"It said I was fine," Sharon said calmly.

"I had to see for myself," Angela returned to her seat, after apparently agreeing on the minor severity of the injury.

"What happened?" Rusty asked and Sharon turned to look at him. His face was so serious and concerned that she felt the need to hug and console him.

"Nothing serious, I promise," she said gently.

"You should see the other guy," Flynn said suddenly and everyone looked at him.

"Lieutenant Flynn, I didn't see you there," Angela said coldly and motioned him with her hand to come closer. "Have a seat."

"No, Mother, he's –"

"He's having a seat," Angela said firmly, and once again, Flynn saw the resemblance between the two women.

Sharon looked concerned but didn't want to argue with her mother in front of everyone. She took a seat between Rusty and Flynn, who sat next to Angela, and hoped that she wouldn't embarrass her like she always did.


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69:**

"So… what happened? How did you get hurt?" Chris asked Sharon from across the table and she told them the story concisely. She tried to make it sound less scary than it really was for Rusty's sake.

"And that's when Andy, Tao and Sanchez came running through the gate," she finished. They were all mesmerized when she talked, listening carefully without interrupting her, including Flynn, who didn't really hear the whole story and listened with interest.

"What's gonna happen to you for shooting this guy?" Rusty asked.

"FID is going to investigate the shooting, and in the mean time I'm suspended," she explained patiently.

"For how long?" Cat seemed concerned.

"A few days, maybe a week or more. It all depends on their workload," Sharon answered. She tried to look okay with not being able to go to work, even though the idea felt like a stone in her stomach.

"Well, at least we share suspension," Flynn said jokingly.

"You too?!" Cat asked in shock and it was Flynn's turn to tell his story about what happened in the warehouse.

"When we were finally able to subdue the cartel people, I went outside with the rest of our squad and that's when we heard Sharon's gunshot," he finished.

* * *

A few minutes later, Cat went back to her apartment with Chris and Julia. They decided to stay for the rest of the week and Cat said she was happy to have them with her.

"I'm going to bed," Rusty got on his feet and wished Sharon, Angela and Flynn goodnight.

"I'll be right back," Sharon said quickly and followed Rusty to the corridor, although she feared leaving Flynn alone with her mother.

"Are you okay?" she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder and examining his face.

"Yeah, just tired. Luckily I can sleep in tomorrow."

"Right. Did you enjoy the first day of spring break?" she smiled.

"Yeah, Cat and Chris took me to Hollywood Boulevard and we went to like three museums there."

"You don't sound very happy," she said gently, trying not to make it sound like a reproach.

"I had fun. Your kids are great, Sharon, but…" he stopped in midsentence, unable to say out loud that he misses her.

"I know," she half-whispered sadly and gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "Well, I guess this suspension couldn't have come in a better time," she smiled again and this time he smiled back when he realized they had a few days to spend together now. "Besides, the cartel case is almost closed, so I'll go back to my normal hours."

"Which aren't very normal," he said, "but better than the hours you've been doing lately."

They said goodnight again and Rusty went to his room, his heart lighter. Sharon tip toed back to the kitchen and remained out of sight so she could listen to what Angela and Flynn were saying. She had to know if Angela was embarrassing her behind her back too, or was it something she only did in front of her to annoy.

"Where do your parents live?" Angela asked.

"They're dead," Flynn answered shortly.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear."

"It's okay, it happened a long time ago."

"When?" Angela asked quickly, taking him by surprise with her straightforwardness.

"Uh… my father died when I was five in a car accident and my mother ten years ago from cancer."

"How unfortunate," she said, and for the first time Flynn could hear empathy in her voice. "So are you all alone now?"

"No, I have two sisters."

"Good. You should stay here tonight," she changed the subject abruptly. "I'll take the couch."

"W-What? Oh, no, Mrs. Scott, you shouldn't," he said politely.

"Call me Angela. And I insist. I've overstayed my welcome. Sharon should have gotten her room back by now."

"You stayed because you were worried about her."

"It doesn't matter. One night on the couch won't kill me. I know my daughter, and I really think you should stay with her tonight, just in case."

"Just in case what?" he frowned, wondering what she meant.


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70:**

"Didn't your mother teach you not to argue with people older than you?" Angela asked coldly and Sharon couldn't help but smile in her hiding place.

"I –"

"Nothing!" Angela said firmly. "You're staying, end of discussion!"

"O… kay," Flynn said hesitantly.

"Good, I'm glad we could agree on that," she said. He arched his eyebrows and scoffed.

"You're so much like your daughter in certain things," he muttered.

"Thank you. I take it as a compliment," her voice was still quite cold. "It IS a compliment, isn't it?" she asked menacingly.

"Of course it is," he chuckled in embarrassment and Sharon decided to enter the kitchen before their conversation turned even more embarrassing for him. The two of them stopped talking when she came in, and just watched her as she took her seat next to Flynn, looking very tired.

"Lieutenant Flynn is staying here tonight," Angela announced.

"No, he's not," Sharon said quietly, running her fingers through her hair. "He doesn't have clothes to change and I'm sure he wants to take a shower after what he's been through today."

"He can sleep just fine without any clothes off," Angela said casually and Flynn's eyes widened in shock, but she didn't notice. "I'm sure it's nothing you haven't seen already."

"Oh, god," Sharon dropped her head to her arm, which was lying on the table. Flynn looked at her and the situation seemed so absurdly funny to him, that he had to make an effort not to laugh. "Why do you like embarrassing me so much?" her voice was muffled by the table, which was very close to her mouth in the position she was in.

Angela got on her feet and straightened her clothes. "It's just my little trick for getting some real emotion from you, dear," she explained lightly, and added "I'm going to make my bed on the couch." She left the kitchen quickly and Sharon followed her with her gaze. After she disappeared from sight, she looked at Flynn and saw he was smiling.

"Excuse me, what is so amusing to you?" she asked in mock anger.

"Your mother," he said honestly.

"There's something wrong with her, I swear," Sharon rolled her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder.

(***)

Sharon was walking on the path leading to the entrance of the warehouse. It was almost completely dark, and her heart was pounding frantically. She could feel the fear deep in her bones but her legs wouldn't obey her brain and run away. She opened the door and walked inside the dark warehouse. The second she stepped in it, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm so glad you came," said a familiar voice. "It's time for payback."

Somebody turned on the lights and she saw Suarez standing right next to her with a gun pointed to her head. There was a big blood stain on his chest and his skin looked white as if he was a dead body.

"Say goodbye, bitch," he said menacingly and his finger pulled the trigger.

The loud bang from the shot awakened Sharon and she sat up quickly, terrified. She was breathing fast and it took her a few seconds to realize she was safe in her bed.

"Sharon?" Flynn asked in a sleepy voice and sat up too, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…" she didn't know what to say.

"Hey… what's wrong?" he wrapped his arms around her now and placed a little kiss on her shoulder. His lips stayed there for a few moments as he waited for her to answer, but she remained quiet. "Sharon," he turned her to him so he could see her face, "was it the first time you shot and killed someone?"

She shook her head without saying a word.

"You do realize he was a criminal mastermind, don't you?"

"I know," she said quietly.

"So it _was_ your first time? Is that why you're so upset?"

"No… I shot someone when I was in patrol, many... many years ago, and he died."

"Did you take it hard back then too?" he asked and she nodded. "But these are bad people," he couldn't understand why she would feel so bad for ridding the world of a very bad man.

"I know I didn't have a choice but to shoot him," she didn't sound very sure of herself.

"So?"

"It's just how I feel. And I can't control my dreams… or nightmares."

"Or overly-developed conscience," he said gently and she gave him a little, bitter smile. "Do you wanna go back to sleep? We can watch TV or something."

"No, it's okay. Can you just…" she stopped in midsentence, the rest of it only sounding in her mind, _hold me until I fall asleep?_

"What?" he frowned.

"Nothing. Goodnight," she gave him a brief kiss and laid back down with her back to him. She felt Flynn moving behind her, lying down too, and a second later she felt his arm on her waist. A smile appeared on her face as she felt the familiar sense of security, that he always gave her, spreading inside her, calming her.


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71:**

Six days later, Sharon was still suspended, and so was Flynn. They didn't see each other more than twice during the week, since Sharon dedicated her days to make Rusty up for the past few months. In between, she had to see the FID detectives twice to answer questions, and spend time with Chris and Julia, since they were leaving. Time went by faster than she could imagine, and it was already Saturday.

Chris and Julia left after breakfast with the promise of coming back soon, and Sharon remained in her apartment with Rusty and Cat. She loved seeing her children, but she was also glad to have some peace and quiet in her life again, now that all the guests were gone. The only thing that she needed now was for her to go back to work and for Rusty to go back to school. The three of them were watching a movie in the living room when her iPhone rang and she saw Flynn's name on the screen.

"Where are you going in the middle of the good part?" Cat asked and Sharon pointed at her iPhone before entering her bedroom and closing the door behind her.

"One guess to who's the caller," Rusty said, his eyes still on the TV.

"Gee, that's a hard one. I don't think I'd guess right," Cat answered sarcastically and they both smiled.

"Hi," Sharon answered the call once in the privacy of her room.

"Hey, remember me?" Flynn asked jokingly.

"How can I ever forget?" she asked in a low, husky tone that made him wish she was next to him.

"I don't know, but you never call me. At least at work I got to see you every day. Now... nothing."

"Well, Chris and Julia left a few hours ago, so I have a little more time now, when I'm not with Rusty."

"Thanks for squeezing me in, you're so considerate," he said sarcastically but she could hear in his voice that he was kidding.

"No problem," she returned the sarcasm.

"You're using your power over me, and it's not right."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she acted innocent.

"You know I'm like your soldier whenever you say you can see me."

"Listen to me, Andy," she said suddenly in a serious tone.

"What?"

"The day you stop being my soldier, it's over between us," she said slowly and heard him laughing on the other end of the line.

"Well, when can you see me, Captain?" he asked.

"I'll have to call you back with the answer to that."

"Oh, come on…"

"No, seriously. I have to see what Rusty wants to do."

"Hey, why don't you come for dinner with him and Cat? I have a guest of my own," he said, and suddenly she could hear excitement in his voice.

"Who is it?"

"Eric, my son! He was supposed to come here next weekend, but he showed up an hour ago out of the blue. I couldn't get a straight answer with the reason why… but I'm just glad he's here."

"That's great," Sharon said. "But isn't it better for you two to be alone for now?"

"No, it's kinda awkward. He needs time to feel comfortable here and I thought that maybe dinner with more people can help."

"Oh, alright. If you're sure about that," she said, and a minute later she was back in the living room, telling Cat and Rusty about the invitation. They both agreed happily once she told them that Flynn had asked for their help with his son.

After the movie was over, Rusty and Sharon got on their feet and started walking to their rooms to get ready for dinner, but Sharon stopped midway and turned around. Cat was still sitting on the couch with a sad face.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Sharon asked, walking back towards the couch.

"My clothes don't fit anymore. I'm fat," she crossed her arms on her chest.

Sharon smiled and sat back down next to her. "You're pregnant, not fat," she said gently. "Why don't we go shopping tomorrow and find you some new clothes?"

"Yeah, I guess I have to."

"You don't sound very happy about the pregnancy," Sharon examined her face.

"I want to have this baby. I do. But the closer the birth gets, the more scared I am."

Sharon put her arm on Cat's shoulders in a half-hug and kissed her cheek. "You may not have your baby's father with you, but you're not alone," she said. Cat smiled at her and kissed her back.

"I know, Mom, thanks."

"Now, go and find something that fits between the tons of clothes that you have," Sharon got on her feet again and this time Cat did the same.

"And I always think I don't have enough," she muttered on her way to the door.

(***)

A while later, Sharon, Cat and Rusty were standing outside Flynn's apartment, waiting for him to open the door.

"Are you sure this dress looks good?" Cat asked nervously, looking down at her short black, flowing dress.

"It's perfect. You're perfect," Sharon said without looking at her.

"You're just saying that because you're my mother," she sounded insecure.

"You think?" Sharon asked sarcastically and Rusty suppressed a chuckle.

"Mom!" Cat said in reproach just as the door opened and Flynn smiled at them.

"Hi. Come in," he stepped aside to let them pass.

Sharon entered first, followed by Rusty and then Cat. Flynn closed the door and gave Sharon a little kiss on the cheek. She saw an unfamiliar man coming towards them from the living room and smiled at him.

"Oh, Eric, these are Sharon, Rusty and Cat," Flynn introduced them.

Eric smiled to Sharon and Rusty, but when his eyes landed on Cat, his face turned serious at once. Sharon looked at Cat and saw the same expression on her face.

"Eric? Oh, my god," Cat said in a shaky voice and Sharon knew she was about to cry.

"You two know each other?" she frowned in confusion.

"You're pregnant?" Eric asked, surprised.

"Oh, my goodness," Sharon muttered as she started to understand what was going on.

"Yeah, we know each other. He's the one who made me lose my career back in San Diego," Cat said angrily and opened the door. She exited the apartment quickly, leaving everyone in shock.


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72:**

"I'm going with her," Rusty said quickly and ran outside.

"You're the jerk who had an affair with her and then blamed her for it?!" Flynn asked in a mix of anger and surprise.

Eric looked at him for a moment and then walked away to the guest bedroom, where he was staying, without saying a word.

"I can't believe this," Flynn said to Sharon and sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah," she said coldly, without looking in his eyes.

"Sharon?" he said in attempt to make her look at him, but she only shook her head. "Are you mad at _me_ for this?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm… I don't know what I am right now," she said quietly and turned to the door.

"Come on… let's not fight over this," he said, almost begging.

"I can't think right now. We'll talk later," she said and went outside before he had the chance to reply.

Flynn followed her quickly and grabbed her arm to prevent her from walking any further. "Sharon, I swear I'll do whatever I can to make it right," he said in a low, serious tone, "but you can't be angry at me for this."

"I'm not sure what I am right now, but your son almost ruined my daughter's life," her voice was painfully monotonous.

"And I'm gonna get to the bottom of it. Okay?" he asked carefully.

Sharon nodded, but didn't seem pleased. "Okay," she muttered and allowed him to place a brief kiss on her lips.

"We'll talk later," he said and watched her walking towards her car for a few moments before entering his apartment and going straight to Eric's room. The door was ajar and he walked right in. Eric was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands and looked up when he heard his father coming in.

"What?" he asked angrily.

"Eric, what the hell?" Flynn muttered angrily. He wasn't very close to any of his sons but he knew that he and his ex-wife did not raise them like that.

"What, are you going to judge me now? You're not a saint either."

"Yeah, I've made mistakes, but I never caused anyone to throw away years of hard work and dedication to their job because of something that was my fault," Flynn said as he walked towards the bed and sat next to his son.

"I didn't make her have the affair with me, you know. It was mutual."

"Fine, so you two are just as guilty, but you washed your hands and let her take the fall for it. What's the matter with you?"

"Why do you even care? It's my life. And you're supposed to be on my side, not hers," Eric got on his feet and started pacing the room. "It's because you're screwing her mother."

Flynn got on his feet too, looking furious. "I'm on her side because I only know her side of the story, and it makes you look pretty damn bad!" he said, raising his voice.

"Fine, you wanna hear my side? I saw her at school when I picked up Alyssa's son one day. We liked each other, we had an affair, Alyssa caught me, and…" he stopped, unable to utter the words.

"And what?!" Flynn asked anxiously.

"She told her father," Eric said quietly, knowing that he sounded pretty ridiculous.

"So? What are you, twelve?"

"No, but _he_ is a… mobster or something."

"A what?" Flynn frowned.

"I don't know exactly, but I know he's doing something illegal."

Flynn couldn't believe at first what he was hearing. "Are you saying that he threatened you?"

"He hinted that something bad might happen to me if I didn't make his daughter happy again. I didn't know what to do," Eric sat down on the bed again, looking desperate.

"Well, for starters, you could have called me. Or are you telling me you forgot what your father does for a living?" Flynn's voice returned to its usual tone. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic for his son.

"No… I don't know," Eric said hesitantly, but Flynn knew that he didn't call him because he wasn't comfortable with asking for his help.

"Well, anyway, there's no excuse for what you did. You used that woman."

"I didn't, Dad. I really cared for her. I still do," Eric grabbed his head for a moment and then sighed.

"Is she the reason why you're here a week earlier than expected?"

"I didn't even know where she was. She just disappeared after they fired her. I'm here because Alyssa has finally decided she wanted a divorce, and if _she_ decides, her father is okay with it," Eric said bitterly.

Flynn nodded, still frowning. What his son had just told him sounded more like a movie than real life.

(***)

"I can't believe this is happening," Cat said said with teary eyes, standing next to the car with Sharon and Rusty. The last rays of sun were fading quickly from the sky as the darkness of the night took over it.

"It's like, the biggest coincidence ever," Rusty leaned against the car and looked at Cat.

"What am I gonna do now? What if he wants my baby?"

"Are you sure that he is the father?" Sharon asked.

"Mom! Of course I'm sure!" Cat said indignantly.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just had to make sure," Sharon crossed her arms on her chest in attempt to hold herself together. The mere thought of what could happen next between Cat and Eric and between Flynn and her threatened to collapse her knees.

"I can't handle this," Cat said in a shaky voice, tears streaming down her cheeks now.

"Honey, there's no reason to take that baby away from you. You're a normal, functioning person -"

"Who's about to inherit tons of money," Rusty said suddenly and the two women looked at him at once. Sharon sent him a little smile before Cat spoke again.

"I don't want him in my child's life at all," she sniffed.

"That might result a little difficult," Sharon said slowly.

Cat didn't speak on the way home. Sharon refrained from looking at her, but she knew her daughter well enough to know that her silence meant she was very upset. Rusty sat in the back quietly and looked through the window, wishing they were home already.

When they finally got there, he went straight to his room, giving Sharon and Cat some privacy. They sat in the kitchen with two cups of coffee, and none of them said a word for a while, until Sharon decided to speak.

"You know that coffee is not recommended for pregnant women, right?"

"Like half the things in the world," Cat said grumpily and pushed the cup away.

"Cat -"

"Mom, don't let this come between you and Andy, okay?" she said. "He's a good man, it's not his fault that his son is a…" she stopped herself before cursing.

Sharon only sighed.

"Do you promise?" Cat looked at her, waiting for an answer.


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73:**

Three hours later, Cat fell asleep on the couch while watching TV. She wanted to go to her apartment but Sharon insisted on her staying there and ordering take out with them. After eating, the three of them sat in the living room to watch TV together, and when Cat fell asleep, Sharon and Rusty moved to the kitchen.

Sharon was sitting with a glass of wine in her hand, looking at Rusty who was sitting close, facing her. He was holding a cup of tea between his hands, and examining her face to try and figure out what was going through her mind.

"Rusty," she said quietly, "how are you holding up?"

"Holding up?" he frowned in confusion.

"Yes. You've been through a lot before you came to live with me, and I was just wondering…" she wasn't sure how to continue.

"What?" Rusty asked hesitantly.

"Do you feel like you need someone to talk to? Someone outside of the division or my family," she asked carefully, trying not to agitate him.

Rusty straightened his back, looking stiff all of a sudden. "I'm not going to see a shrink, if that's what you mean," he said firmly.

"Okay," Sharon said gently and nodded. "But if you do need to talk to someone… I'm here."

"When you're not at work," he muttered bitterly and leaned against the backrest again.

"I'll always find the time for you if you need me. All you need to do is ask. And I'm not at work _now_, so…"

"There's nothing I need to talk about. I never want to talk about what I've been through before coming here. Besides, I don't think you could handle it. You're too sensitive," he smiled at her and she arched her eyebrows.

"Oh, really?" she smiled back.

"Yeah. I can't have you crying here," he said and Sharon snickered just as they heard a knock on the door. "Do you want me to get it?"

"No, it's okay," she patted the back of his hand before getting on her feet and walking to the door. She didn't feel like seeing anyone right now, but she knew who it was. Flynn sent her a text saying he got his son to talk, and she invited him over to talk, although it was only half the reason why she wanted him to come over. Truth was, she needed to be around him, to look at him, to hear him, just be near him, even if she was angry.

He stood on the threshold with a serious face and looked at her as she greeted him coldly.

"How's Cat?" he asked.

"Sleeping," Sharon replied and stepped aside to let him in.

Rusty passed them on the way to his room, greeting Flynn briefly without stopping.

"I see I'm persona non grata here," Flynn said as she closed the door.

"No, he's just avoiding me because I wanted him to talk about his feelings," her voice was still cold and her arms crossed on her chest. She wanted to break this imaginary wall that was now between them but something inside her wouldn't let her do so. Her heart wanted her to take him in her arms, but her brain left her standing there without moving.

"Do you wanna sit in the kitchen?" Flynn asked.

"Uh… no. I don't want Cat to hear us," she said quietly and started walking, leading him to her bedroom.

He sat on her bed and watched her for a few moments, but she didn't sit next to him.

"Why are you mad at _me_ for this?" he asked.

"I'm not," she said coldly.

"Come here, then," he offered her his hand and she looked at it hesitantly for a moment before walking towards him and taking it. She was now standing between his legs, looking down at him.

"Why are you so cold with me if you're not angry?" he asked, looking up.

Sharon sighed slowly. "Andy… give me time," she said, almost begging, and he looked at her with sad eyes. Before she knew it, her hands moved to his shoulders and traveled upward very slowly as they looked in each other's eyes.

"You've completely taken over me," he half-whispered. "I can't be without you anymore. It's just not an option."

Her fingers hovered over his lips as she took a moment to think about her reaction. He looked at her with anticipating eyes, craving to feel her lips on his but not doing anything on his part to make it happen. Sharon bent down a little until her lips rested on his willing mouth and for a moment she didn't move, her eyes shut tight. Flynn waited a few seconds, inhaling her sweet, perfumed smell and feeling her hands creeping to the back of his neck. He parted his lips and started kissing her, unable to restrain himself anymore. The kiss became more intense quickly with his hands moving up and down her back, pulling her body to him as close as possible.

Sharon straddled him, sitting on his lap without breaking off the kiss. It felt to her like their tongues were engaged in a fierce battle as they struggled to feel each other as much as possible. After a while, Sharon stopped the kiss and buried her face in his neck. She felt his arms tightening around her, hugging her close to him.


	74. Chapter 74

**This chapter is rated M**

* * *

**Chapter 74:**

Sharon and Flynn were lying on her bed, side by side. They were both staring at the ceiling as he spoke, repeating Eric's version of events. One arm rested under his head, whilst the other lay lazily on his stomach. He wanted to put his hand on her hand or stomach or thigh… but after she lifted herself from his lap and asked to hear what he had to say, he didn't dare trying something again.

"Anyway, he says he feared for his life," he finished. Sharon kept quiet, pondering. Flynn heard her sighing and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"It's hard for me to accept that excuse. He could have just gone to the police, or to you," she said, keeping her voice calm so they don't start arguing.

"That's what I told him, but… what's done is done. He can't change the past, but he can try and make it up to her in the present and future," Flynn spoke for his son, but he knew that Eric never actually said it. Nevertheless, Flynn was determined to make it happen, no matter what.

"I'm not even sure Cat wants him in her present… or future," Sharon said and Flynn frowned. He sat up, looking down at her.

"Sharon, this baby is my grandchild. You can't shut Eric off because then you'll be shutting me off too," he started to sound upset. Sharon sat up, turning her back to him and lowering her feet to the floor. He sat there for a moment, staring at her back, until she spoke.

"I'm not going to fight this fight right now. Especially since Cat hasn't told me yet what she wanted," she said firmly.

"It doesn't matter what she wants, Eric has legal rights over this baby," Flynn said, but Sharon didn't reply. He got on his feet and walked around the bed, standing in front of her so she's forced to look at him.

Sharon looked up, at his face, but didn't get up. "Andy…" she said softly and grabbed his hand with her own, "is there a way for us _not_ to fight over this?"

Flynn sighed. Her words made his anger go away at once, and instead he started to feel frustration. He knelt on the floor in front of her, holding both of her thighs with his hands and looking at her with sad, begging eyes.

"I don't know, but if I lose you over this…" he stopped in midsentence, unable to express how bad this possibility made him feel.

Sharon closed her eyes for a moment, as if she could actually see the thought of not having him, and the sight was horrifying. "I know," she said quietly.

She opened her eyes and saw that he was still looking at her with sad eyes. The only thing she wanted to do at that moment was to feel him close to her, pressed hard against her body, becoming one with her in an unequalled act of love. She bent down just a little and kissed him, feeling his body obeying to her every movement as she pulled him closer to her. He got on his feet again and immediately lay on top of her as she moved back from the edge of the bed and lay on her back.

Flynn's hands traveled on her thighs and under her skirt. He rubbed his hand against her underwear for a few seconds and she felt the excitement building up inside her. She reached down and felt the lump in his pants, rubbing her hand against it just like he did on her a second ago. He unzipped his pants quickly and pulled out his erecting member. Sharon closed her fingers on it and started moving her hand up and down, sending little jolts of pleasure coursing through his body.

It didn't take long for Flynn to be already moving inside her, thrusting his body against hers. Her legs were spread widely, giving him free rein, her hands gripping the blanket underneath her as every intense movement of his brought her closer to a momentary blissful oblivion.

"Yes…" she said so quietly that it almost sounded like a breath and nothing more. Flynn watched her face. The expression of pleasure on it, with her eyes shut and her mouth open, was like an incentive to go faster and harder.

Sharon panted, short of breath. She opened her eyes and put her hands on his chest but he grasped them right away and pinned them to the bed, on both sides of her head. She couldn't move at all under him, but it only made her feel closer to climaxing. Because of her past with Richard, she never thought that she'd like being in that position, but apparently she did when it was Flynn who'd put her in it.

* * *

Cat woke up in the living room and looked around her. There was light in the kitchen, but there was no one there. She got up slowly and dragged her feet towards Sharon's room. Her hand almost reached the door as she intended to knock on it, but then she heard something and stopped before making any noise. She frowned and brought her ear closer to the door. Now she could hear it clear: her mother was moaning the word _yes_ repeatedly, occasionally calling Andy's name. Cat's arched her eyebrows and nodded, smiling.

"Way to go, Mom," she whispered to herself, "at least one of us is having a good time," she added and walked away back to the couch. For a moment, she thought about going to sleep in her own apartment, but she didn't feel like being alone. The idea of being by herself with all those thoughts crowding in her head frightened her. she lay back down on the couch and shut her eyes, trying to fall sleep again.

* * *

Sharon was lying on the bed with Flynn behind her, his arm on her waist. Both of them remained quiet for a while, relaxing from the intense interaction they had just experienced. Her eyes were shut, and she felt him breathing against her back, his chest moving back and forth. All of a sudden, he placed a kiss on her shoulder and she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"That was… hot. You're hot," he half-whispered, his hand traveling up her stomach very slowly.

Sharon snorted. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You're just my type."

"Your type is blond, big breasted, small brained 20-30 year olds," she concluded.

Flynn chuckled. "No, it's not," he smiled. "Besides, it doesn't matter, because I've never had with anyone the chemistry I have with you. It makes a huge difference."

"Yes, it does. I mean, I had to compromise on _your_ looks," she teased him and snickered.

"Oh, really?" he asked slowly, pretending to be offended. He's never seen her joking around and so loosened up before, and he liked it. "You think you're so funny?" he started brushing her neck with his lips and placing gentle kisses on it, causing her to flinch as it tickled her. Quickly, he added his fingers to the little battle.

"Andy!" she couldn't stop laughing, trying to free herself from his arms, but he was too strong for her. Eventually he stopped and looked at her again.

"Alright, that ought to teach you a lesson," he said.

"Great, thanks," she said sarcastically, residue of laughter still in her voice.

"Hey…" he said, sounding serious suddenly. "Do you think that we can remain friends if we ever… if it ever ends between us?"

Sharon turned serious too, hearing his question. She frowned, looking deep into his eyes, and concern started filling her heart, burdening it.


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter 75:**

In the morning, Sharon was standing next to her closet, buttoning a black blouse. Flynn's question from the night before swirled in her mind nonstop ever since he verbalized it. Every silent moment resulted in this question resounding in her mind, and try as she might, she couldn't forget about it nor answer it. She didn't want to answer it.

It wasn't the question itself that worried her, but the meaning behind the words. Flynn asking about staying friends if they ever break up, meant that he was thinking about it seriously, as something that might happen. And she knew exactly why. This new, huge problem with their children burdened her just as much as it burdened him.

Sharon was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't hear Flynn coming out of the bathroom and approaching her. He placed his hands on her shoulders just when she finished with the last button.

"Hey," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. Sharon put her hands on the back of his hands and leaned back against him. She shut her eyes for a moment and then opened them again when he placed a kiss beneath her ear.

"What are we doing?" she asked suddenly.

"We're… cuddling," he smiled, knowing that it wasn't what she was asking.

Sharon separated his hands so she can move and turned around to face him. "I mean, what are we doing, thinking about breaking up?"

"Well… I don't know how this problem will be resolved, but I know my son. If necessary, he'll take legal actions to have his rights as this baby's father," he said and Sharon crossed her arms on her chest as she listened. "I don't know if we can be on two different sides in this kind of trial and stay together," he finished, and she could see sadness in his eyes now.

She shook her head and then looked down, waiting for the lump in her throat to disappear before she spoke. "Remember when you said you will never let me go again?" her voice was calm once she could control it, but it didn't reflect the ocean inside of her that was about to flood her.

"Sharon, don't get me wrong. I'm not gonna just give you up easily at the slightest problem, but I really don't know how this is going to end with Eric and Cat."

She nodded this time, taking a moment to think of her reaction to his words. "I think I need to be alone," she said eventually, her voice cold and distant, and the wall that was between them yesterday was rebuilt now.

"Sharon…" he took a step towards her but she moved back, just as the doorbell rang.

"I have to get that," she said and walked passed him quickly on the way to the bedroom door.

"Let Rusty get it, don't go," he said, but she already opened the door and then disappeared from sight. Flynn sighed and followed her.

"What are you doing here?" he heard Cat's voice before he emerged from the corridor and saw the front door. Eric was standing on the threshold, looking tired and unshaved. Sharon and Cat stood in front of him, blocking the entrance. Flynn tried to examine Sharon's face. He didn't see hate or despise as he expected. She only looked at him with interest and didn't say a word.

"Can we talk?" Eric asked with despair in his voice.

"No," Cat answered, determined.

"Please, I need to explain some things… and you too," he pointed at her stomach briefly.

"I said, no," Cat insisted.

Flynn walked towards them and Sharon looked at him for a moment.

"Honey, it won't hurt you to listen to him," she said gently to her daughter.

"Mom, he's already hurt me!" she also sounded frustrated.

"And I am so sorry for that. Just tell me how can I make it up to you and I will," Eric said, almost begging.

Cat shook her head without saying a word, and Sharon put her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Just listen to him for five minutes. Do it for me," she said very quietly, so the other two couldn't hear. Cat's eyes moved for a second to Flynn and then back to Sharon.

"Fine. Five minutes," she said and walked away with Eric, towards her apartment. Sharon followed them with her eyes for a moment, and then closed the door. She turned around, leaning against it, and saw Flynn watching her.

"Thanks," he said, moving towards her.

"You need to go," she said monotonically without meeting his eyes, her arms crossed on her chest again.


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter 76:**

"Sharon…" Flynn said in a soft voice.

"What?" she asked, this time looking at him, which was what he wanted.

"Don't be so cold with me. I love you."

"No, you don't. You were ready to let me go," she said coldly and Flynn knew that although it didn't sound like a reproach because of her tone, it definitely was.

"No, I wasn't," he chuckled. "I was just speaking hypothetically. Losing you will be... It's not something that I want to experience… _again_," he emphasized the last word to remind her that it was _her_ who broke it off the last time.

He took a few small steps forward and stood right in front of her. His hands reached for her arms and pulled them down gently, in attempt to make her loosen up a little. With another step forward he closed the small gap between them and put his hands on her cheeks. She watched him as he leaned against her, pressing her to the door and bent his head down to kiss her, gently at first and then passionately, as always. She couldn't move even if she wanted to, but she made no attempt to do so. Her hands moved involuntarily to his waist and continued to his back. She didn't want to cooperate with the kiss, but it was stronger than her. He always had the ability to make her forget who she was for a moment.

Eventually, Flynn broke off the kiss and gazed in her eyes. Her head was still held by both of his hands as the reality started sinking in again and she sighed.

"You should go," she half-whispered, partially because they were so close to each other, but mainly because she didn't have enough strength to say it any louder.

"Why?" he let go of her and took a step back.

"I need to be alone a little."

Flynn opened his mouth to talk but a knock on the door made him close it back. Sharon startled and turned around quickly to open it, expecting to see Cat or Eric, but the man standing there made her freeze on her spot for a moment.

"Hello, Captain," Carlos Reyes smiled at her and leaned against the lintel. Flynn frowned and tilted his head to the side in disbelief.

"What the hell is he doing here?" he asked angrily.

"Oops, I didn't know your boyfriend was here," Reyes said with a mischievous smile.

"You know he's my CI," Sharon said to Flynn.

"Really? So your CI comes to your house?"

Sharon has never seen Flynn so jealous before, and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

"Maybe I should come back in another time," Reyes said after a moment of silence.

"No," Sharon said firmly. "Lieutenant Flynn was just leaving." She stepped aside to let Reyes in, and after he did, she looked at Flynn, waiting for him to go.

"Fine," he said coldly and left. Sharon watched him walking away for a moment and then closed the door.

"Something wrong between you two?" Reyes didn't sound very sad asking it.

Sharon started walking to the living room, ignoring his question, and he followed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as they sat down on the couch.

"I'm glad to see you too," he said jokingly. Sharon crossed her legs and looked at him without saying a word. "You know," he moved on the couch towards her, "I heard that when a woman crosses her legs sitting next to me, it means she's interested in me. Especially if her top leg is pointed towards me," he moved his gaze up her legs slowly, and then smiled at her.

Sharon remained quiet and just looked at him.

"Should I take your silence as a 'yes, I'm interested'?" he asked, but she still didn't answer. "Alright, alright, it's just a joke… that I used to look at your legs."

Sharon tried to suppress a smile, but he could still see it on the corners of her mouth.

"Can I get a real smile before we talk about serious things?" he asked.

"No."

"Okay…"

"What are you doing here?"

"Well… I came to ask where I stand," he said and she frowned.

"Where you…?"

"Yes, am I your friend, your lover… what am I?"

"Excuse me?" Sharon asked in shock.

Reyes looked at her and then laughed suddenly. "I'm kidding, lighten up. I need to know if I'm a witness or a defendant. In other words - should I stay or should I go?"

"Oh…" Sharon let out air in relief. "I'm suspended right now, but I'm pretty sure you can make a deal with the DA to become a state's witness."

"Suspended? What happened?"

"Nothing serious. I'm just waiting for FID to clear me."

"Good. I don't think I can get used to you not being a captain," he smiled at her. "Anyway, become a state's witness? And never see you again after they change my identity and send me away?" he asked, still smiling.

"It's not funny anymore," she said, although deep inside she did enjoy his flirting a little.

"Ah, so it _was_ funny up until now."

"I didn't say that," Sharon said coldly. Reyes moved again towards her, and now his knee was touching her thigh.

Sharon didn't expect it, but butterflies started swirling frantically in her stomach. She looked in his eyes and wondered what were those feelings that she was having towards him.


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter 77:**

"Reyes…" Sharon said quietly.

"Yes?" he said with anticipation.

"_Move_," she said firmly.

"Right, we don't want to make Lieutenant Flynn angry," he said as he moved away from here.

Sharon kept quiet for a moment and sighed. "Look, I'll talk to Lieutenant Provenza tomorrow first thing in the morning; see if he can ask DDA Hobbs about you."

"Good," he got on his feet and Sharon did the same right away.

"Leave me a phone number or some other way to contact you," she said. She always wondered where he was staying and how did he manage to stay off the grid for so long.

"I don't think so," he said slowly, looking at her with suspicion. "I'll contact you in a few days."

"Fine," she said shortly and walked to the door, hearing his footsteps behind her as he followed.

"Too bad the door isn't farther," he said as she reached it and turned around to face him with her hand on the doorknob.

"Why?" she frowned in confusion.

"I enjoyed the walk," he smiled and Sharon felt her cheeks heating up a little when she understood the hint.

"Goodbye, Reyes," she said coldly, as always.

"Yeah," he came closer and stood on the threshold. "Do you love him?"

"What?"

"The lieutenant… do you love him?"

Sharon took a moment before answering. She didn't think she had to answer such a private question, but it could make things clear with Reyes. "Yes," she said shortly, with no hesitation in her voice.

"Lucky guy," he smiled again before he turned to the door and left.

(***)

"Anyway, I told him I wasn't buying it. He could have gone to the police," Cat said during lunch, after telling Sharon and Rusty what Eric had told her in their conversation.

"Or his father," Rusty said before taking a sip from his water.

"Yeah, exactly," Cat said. "I mean, he ruins my career and then he wants to be a part of my baby's life."

"Do you think there's a chance you'll go to trial?" Sharon asked in concern.

"I have no idea, Mom," Cat said and watched her mother's sad face for a moment. She knew that she was wondering whether a trial could damage her relationship with Flynn, and felt bad for it. "Do you think that you and Andy could…" she stopped in midsentence, not sure how to end it without making her mother even sadder.

"I'm not sure," Sharon said in a low voice, fearing that it might break if it was any louder.

"Hey, eventually you didn't promise not to fight with him over this when I asked you to yesterday."

"Because I can't promise something like that."

"What happened with him after Eric and I left?"

"I asked him to leave," Sharon's voice was weak, as if she was ashamed of herself.

"You should go to him," Cat said, but Sharon shook her head.

They continued to eat in silence for a while, each with their own thoughts, until Sharon spoke again, looking at Cat.

"Oh, that lawyer that your grandma got to take care of the inheritance said that we should come by his office as soon as possible to sign some papers so you can get your part."

"Good, so maybe I can finally start my daycare," Cat said. Sharon noticed anger in her voice and knew that it was directed toward Richard, who did nothing for his children in his life but to disappoint them again and again.

"Not so soon. The FBI froze the accounts until they find out where that money came from," Sharon said gently, trying not to upset her daughter.

"Great, so even after his death he doesn't help."

"Don't worry; you'll have your daycare. We'll find a way," Sharon gave her a consoling smile, but Cat only nodded sadly. "Hey, did you know that he had two cabins in Big Bear Lake?" Sharon asked.

"Yeah, I think he mentioned them once. One is for his personal use and the other he rents to vacationers."

"I didn't even know he had cabins there," now Sharon started to feel anger too, for all the things she didn't know about Richard, but she tried to ignore it. "Anyway, you and Chris will each get a cabin. He just has to come back to LA and signs the papers."

"Well… at least that," Cat said, and a second later her eyes sparkled and a smile appeared on her face. "Hey, I have a great idea for you!" she added suddenly.

"For me? What?" Sharon sounded confused.

"After you go to Andy's house and apologize for kicking him out…" she waited a moment to see her mother's reaction. Sharon arched her eyebrows but remained quiet, waiting for the rest. "You two can spend a weekend in my cabin!"

"What are you talking about?" Sharon muttered in embarrassment.

"Yes! Rusty can stay with me, right?" she asked, looking at him.

"Yeah, sure," he said lightly. "We can tear down the house with a party."

Sharon's eyes widened in horror. "There's no way I'm leaving you alone," she said slowly.

"Mom, he's kidding," Cat laughed and Rusty's shoulders quivered as he tried to stifle a giggle. "Come on, go with him this weekend. Take advantage of your suspension. What do you say?"

"It's fine with me," Rusty said, this time with a serious face. "I don't mind if we spend the week together."

"Yeah, Mom, go talk to him and ask him to come with you!"

Sharon looked at both of them, feeling like she was about to be pushed off a cliff.


	78. Chapter 78

**Chapter 78:**

Sharon looked at her daughter and wondered who she got her character from. Sometimes she reminded her of herself, but other times she was more like Richard.

"Well?!" Cat asked anxiously.

"I can't," Sharon said eventually and got up with her plate. She walked to the sink and heard Cat talking behind her.

"Is it fear or pride?" she asked, following her mother.

"I'm gonna go clear the table," Rusty placed his plate quickly in the sink and went back to the table.

"Cat, stop," Sharon whispered in anger, grabbing a towel absent-mindedly.

"No, if you don't go, I'll call him and say that you and Reyes have been locked in your room for hours," Cat whispered back.

"What?!" Sharon looked at Cat, shocked. She was definitely more like Richard now.

"You know I'm capable," Cat threatened, still whispering.

"You wouldn't."

"Yes, I definitely would!"

"Cat!"

"Sharon!"

Rusty looked at them from the table with the salad bowl in his hand and fear in his heart. He hoped they weren't going to start fighting.

"Fine!" Sharon said louder than her usual tone. She threw the towel on the counter and left the kitchen without saying a word to any of them.

"Wow, Cat…" Rusty said as he approached her and placed the bowl on the counter. "You really upset her."

"I know, but she can be so stubborn sometimes that I had to do it!" Cat sounded pretty upset herself.

Sharon grabbed her purse and stormed out of the apartment. She strode to the elevator and then from the building's entrance to her car. When she closed the car door and sat in the still darkness, she wondered what to do next. She really did want to make peace with Flynn, but, as Cat said, it was a mix of fear and pride that made her stay frozen in her car.

Her iPhone rang, startling her. On the screen she saw Provenza's name. She frowned for a moment, wondering why he would call her, but then answered.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Uh… Captain, how's it going?" he sounded impatient.

"Good. And how are you?"

"Great, yeah. Look, what did you do to Andy?"

"Excuse me?"

"I called earlier to tell him to meet me and Sanchez somewhere, and he said he really needed a drink so he was going to a meeting. It has to be you."

Sharon couldn't talk for a second as her heart skipped a beat. The last thing she wanted was to make Flynn feel like he needed a drink because of her.

"I have to go," she said quickly and ended the call.

(***)

"He's in his room," Eric said when he opened the door and Sharon asked him about his father. He seemed embarrassed to look in her eyes, and she suddenly remembered the beginning of her relationship with Flynn. Eric looked like a younger version of his father.

"Do you think I can go in there?" she asked.

"I really don't know. He told me he needed to be alone, so I haven't disturbed him. But you can try," he stepped aside and she walked in.

"Thanks," she said just before going to Flynn's room. The door was closed. She knocked on it and waited for a reply, but instead she heard footsteps from inside coming towards the door. A second after they stopped. She heard the lock turning and the door opened. Flynn stood there, looking tired and surprised to see her there.

"Hi," she said carefully.

"I thought you were Eric," he turned around and went back to his bed, leaving the door open. Sharon saw it as permission to enter, and closed the door behind her. She stayed at the entrance, looking at him, and sighed.

"What?" he asked, looking back at her from his lying position.

Sharon felt like running away. By the looks of it, he wasn't going to forgive her so easily. It didn't even seem like he wanted to listen to her. She tilted her head down and regret started burdening her stomach as she wondered why she came.


	79. Chapter 79

**Chapter 79:**

"Are you okay?" she asked, approaching the bed carefully.

"Yeah, can't you see?" he said sarcastically.

Sharon sat down on the edge of the bed without looking at him.

"Why are you here?"

"I don't even know," she said coldly. "Cat threatened to invent lies about me if I don't come here and fix things with you."

"Well, at least you're honest," he said, continuing with the sarcasm.

"But I don't think I'm ready to make peace with you when you're like this," she finally looked at his angry face.

"So you kicked me out of your apartment and I'm the bad guy?"

"I needed some time alone. Why is it so hard for you to understand?" she said firmly and got up, straightening her shirt.

"I didn't know that time alone included Reyes," he said angrily, without moving from the bed.

Sharon looked at him and felt like slapping him. The way he continued to lie there, throwing sarcasm at her, seemed like disrespect toward her.

"Goodbye, Andy," she turned around and walked to the door.

"See you… sometime," he said just before she slammed the door. He stared at it for a while, feeling emptiness inside.

Sharon almost ran to the front door. She couldn't wait to get out of there, to get some fresh air. She felt like she was suffocating inside the house of the man who couldn't care enough about her to get on his feet and talk to her like a normal person.

Eric got up from the couch as she walked past him quickly. He watched her, confused, while she opened the door and left without saying a word.

She started walking to her car when he called her name and she looked back. Eric ran toward her, panting.

Sharon stopped walking at once, frowning at him. "Can I help you?" she asked coldly, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Maybe," he said. "I really wanna do right by your daughter," his voice was quiet now, almost begging.

"I don't think I can help you with that," Sharon wasn't impressed.

"You could convince Cat to accept my apology."

"Why should I? You screwed her up so badly..." she sounded pretty angry now.

"Maybe to you it's not a good enough excuse, but I was truly scared for my life," he tried to sound as honest as he could.

Sharon rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I really do care for her," he said gently.

"Goodbye," Sharon said for the second time in a few minutes, and got in her car. Eric watched her with frustration on his face as she backed out of the parking space and drove away.

(***)

"Well?" Cat asked when Sharon came back home, but she could see on her mother's face that it didn't go well.

"Where's Rusty?" Sharon slumped into the armchair and looked at Cat tiredly.

"In his room. What happened?"

"Nothing."

"And the cabin?" Cat asked, although she knew they weren't going.

Sharon sighed without saying a word.

"I don't get you two. Last night you were just fine, and –"

"What?"

"What what?"

"What do you mean, last night we were just fine?"

"Oh, I might have heard you… playing scrabble," Cat smiled mischievously.

Sharon's face turned red in a matter of seconds, and she felt a heat wave striking her body as the embarrassment stung her skin.

Cat looked at her, smiling, waiting for her reaction.

"I…" Sharon stuttered.

"You… were having fun?" Cat continued to torture her mother.

"Catherine! This isn't funny," Sharon said with a stern voice.

"It really is," Cat laughed. "Why are you taking it so hard? I'm all for having fun… and being naughty," she knew that saying that word would embarrass her mother even more.

"I'm not…!" Sharon could barely speak.

"Naughty?" Cat completed her sentence.

"Who's naughty?" they heard Rusty's voice suddenly and both women jumped.


	80. Chapter 80

**Chapter 80:**

"Nobody," Sharon said quietly just as someone knocked on the door. "Could you get that, please?" she added, looking at Rusty.

He nodded and walked to the door.

"Are you crazy?!" Sharon whispered angrily to Cat, whose shoulders quivered with subdued laughter.

"I didn't know he was listening!" she whispered back just as Rusty closed the door and walked back to the living room, holding a white envelope.

"What's that?" Sharon asked, sending a warning look towards Cat, to make her stop laughing.

"I don't know," he said hesitantly while examining the envelope in his hand.

"Who delivers mail on Sunday?" Cat asked, frowning.

"This guy wasn't a mailman. He was doing a personal favor for someone. That's what he said," Rusty looked at Sharon with concern.

"Who?" she asked, getting up.

"My mother," he handed her the envelope, but Sharon didn't take it. She only looked at him with shock for a few moments, and then shook her head.

"No, it's for you. You should open it, if you want to."

Rusty shrugged, trying to make it look like he didn't care, but inside of him there was a storm going on. His mother abandoned him a long time ago and hasn't contacted him ever since. Now she suddenly writes to him? He couldn't help but feel confused.

"Do you want to go to your room to read it?" Sharon asked gently.

Rusty waited a moment before he answered, "No, I don't want to read it," he handed her the envelope and looked at her with begging eyes. She reached for it, feeling like she was taking a burden off his hands.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just… put it in the trash or something," he said and walked to the kitchen.

Cat waited for him to get out of earshot and then leaned forward, toward her mother. "You're not gonna throw it, right?" she whispered.

"I'm going to keep it somewhere, in case he'll change his mind," Sharon said quietly.

(***)

Three weeks later, Sharon returned to work. While Flynn was suspended for only eight days, FID took their time in investigating her case and clearing her name. It made her wonder if some of her former detectives in FID wanted to get back at her for being stern with them, or for anything else that might be.

Sharon came in late on her first day back to work. She had one last meeting with Taylor and the FID lead detective, in which they officially cleared her back to duty. Sharon's heart pounded in her chest as she walked from the elevators to the murder room. She didn't see any of her detectives on the way and, apart from the heels knocking on the floor with every step of hers, the corridor was pretty quiet. When she entered the murder room, it was empty. She figured they were all out on a murder, and walked straight to her office.

The darkness disappeared instantly when she opened the shutters, and the bright daylight washed the entire room, giving her a sense of warmth. It felt good to be back in her office. In a way, it was her natural place. She was always a hard worker, very dedicated to her job. She enjoyed spending her days with Cat and Rusty, but a whole month of not being able to work was too much for her.

Sharon sat down on her office chair and looked around. Sanchez appeared behind the corner, dressed in jeans and t-shirt, which meant he worked under cover. Right behind him walked Sykes, who was also dressed casual. Sharon got on her feet just when the rest of the squad appeared behind the same corner. Flynn and Provenza were both holding their jackets in their hands, and the latter's tie was sloppily askew. If Sharon had to pick a word to describe their general look, it would be 'tired'. Tao was the only one who looked fit to work in an office.

Sharon took advantage of the fact that none of them have noticed her yet, and followed Flynn with her eyes. He looked upset or impatient, she couldn't tell. He definitely wasn't in a good mood. She wondered if he missed her as much as she missed him.

They didn't see or speak to one another ever since the fight. Sharon found it more and more difficult to fall asleep at night. Every time she closed her eyes she would see his face. The need to be in his arms burned in her veins like an incurable disease. Many times she wanted to call him, but, remembering how he treated her the last time she tried to talk to him, she never went through with it.

She turned to look at Provenza and her heart skipped a beat when she realized he was looking right at her. A second later he said something to Flynn and the latter looked at her too. Sharon walked around her desk and entered the murder room quickly.

"Captain!" Sykes jumped on her feet. "It's so good to have you back!"

"Thank you, Amy," Sharon said quietly.

Provenza rolled his eyes and sat on his chair. "Yeah, welcome back," he said grumpily, so she wouldn't know that he was actually relieved to give her back the leadership. In the last few weeks he finally understood why Taylor and Pope decided to put _her_ in charge of the Major Crimes division instead of him. He'd never admit it, but keeping everything and everyone in order was not something he was very good at. He loved being a detective, but hated dealing with bureaucracy and with Taylor breathing down his neck.

"Good to see you," Sharon heard a voice to her left and turned quickly to see Flynn looking at her with soft eyes. The expression on his face was nothing like the one he had a minute ago, when she watched him from afar.

Sharon examined his face, wondering if his mood changed thanks to her, and fighting the urge to wrap her arms around him and bury her face against his neck.


End file.
